Fatehpur Sikri:

The founding of Fatehpur Sikri reads like a fairytale. When all else had failed, the Mughal Emperor Akbar came here in search of the renowned Sufi mystic, Sheikh Salim Chishti, to ask the blessing of a son. His prayer was heard and soon a son was born. In honor of the saint, Akbar named the prince Salim and vowed to found a new city. And so Fatehpur Sikri, a magnificent new city rose on the craggy hills 40 Kilometers from Agra and served as the capital of the Mughal Empire for 16 short but memorable years between 1570 and 1586.

Today, Fatehpur Sikri is a deserted, phantom city. But the inner citadel is immaculately preserved. Its walls, palaces, baths, royal mint, courts and gardens still stand in splendid homage to a great emperor. The heart of the palace complex however, is very much alive. The white marble tomb of Sheikh Salim Chishti is set in the great courtyard of the Royal Mosque. Thousands of pilgrims still come to pray for the gift of son.

The city was intended to embody the noble ideals and the humanitarian bent of this dynamic emperor. Although a Muslim, Akbar was famous for his incredible tolerance towards other religions and he is said to have indulged in a great deal of study and discussion in this field. He also created a new religion, Deen - e - Elahi that attempted to fuse positive aspects of all the major religions into one composite whole.

The finest monuments within this area are the Diwan - i - Am, Diwan - i - Khas, Panch Mahal, Jama Masjid, Buland Darwaza and the tomb of Saint Sheikh Salim

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