FATEHPUR SIKRI

Submitted ByBharat WadhwaB.Arch III Year

Introduction• Fatehpur Sikri is a city board in Agra district in the state of

Uttar Pradesh, India. The city was founded in 1569 by the Mughal emperor Akbar and served as the capital of the Mughal Empire from 1571 to 1585.

• Fatehpur Sikri sits on rocky ridge, 3 kilometres (1.9 mi) in length and 1 km (0.62 mi) wide and palace city is surrounded by a 6 km (3.7 mi) wall on three sides with the fourth bordered by a lake.

• It is still surrounded by a five mile long wall built during its original construction on three sides. Except of ruins of the bazaars of the old city near the Naubat Khana, the 'drum-house' entrance at Agra Road. The modern town lies at the western end of the complex, which was a municipality from 1865 to 1904, 1901 had a population of 7,147.

• For a long time it was still known for its masons and stone carvers

Architecture of Fatehpur Sikri

• Architects were Tuhir Das and Dhruv Chawla and was constructed using Indian principles.

• Influences from Hindu and Jain architecture are seen hand in hand with Islamic elements.

• The building material used in all the buildings at Fatehpur Sikri, palace-city complex, is the locally quarried red sandstone, known as 'Sikri sandstone'.

• Seeking to revive the splendours of Persian court ceremonial made famous by his ancestor Timur, Akbar planned the complex on Persian principles.

• There is an arched portico at the entrance over which projects a wide and deep cornice supported on spiral typr ornamental brackets.

Components in Fatehpur Sikri• Buland Darwaza• Jama Masjid• Tomb Of Salim Chishti• Diwan-i-Aam• Diwan-i-Khas• Ibadat Khana• Anup Talao• Hujra-i-Anup• Mariam-uz-Zamani• Naubat Khana• Pachisi Court• Panch Mahal• Birbal’s Residence

Recent excavation done by ASI in 2000 led to unearthing of an ancient Jain city very near to the fort complex.

Buland Darwaza• Buland Darwaza is the highest gateway in the world and is an example of

Mughal architecture. It displays Akbar's empire.• The Buland Darwaza is made of red and buff sandstone, decorated by white

and black marble and is higher than the courtyard of the mosque.• The Buland Darwaza is symmetrical and is topped by large free standing

kiosks, which are the chhatris.• he total height of the structure is about 54 metres from the ground level. It is

a 15-storied high gateway acting as the southern entrance of the city of Fatehpur Sikri. The approach to the gate consists of 42 steps.

• It is semi octagonal in plan and two smaller triple-storeyed wings on either side. It has three kiosks on its top surrounded by thirteen smaller domed kiosks. There are smaller turrets surrounding the gateway. The expanse is broken by arched niches, small chhatries and marble highlights.

• On the main gateway an Islamic inscription written in Persian reads "Isa.

Jama Masjid• The rectangular mosque comprises a central nave with a single dome, two

colonnaded halls on either side, with two square chambers crowned with domes. Carved mihrabs adorn the main chamber and the two smaller rooms.

• The mosque marks the phase of transition in Islamic art, as indigenous architectural elements were blended with Persian elements. The pillared dalan of the facade, the liwan with three arched openings framed by panels and crowned by five chhatris and the central mihrab adorned with an inlaid mosaic of stones that are bordered by glazed tiles, and it has golden inscriptions on a royal blue background, a tribute to this fusion.

• The interiors of the iwan are adorned with watercolour paintings depicting stylized floral designs. The dado panels, spandrels of arch and soffits are painted profusely. Unlike other monuments, where domes are supported on squinches, here corbelled pendentives support the dome.

• The Buland Darwaza and the Tomb of Salim Chishti are also a part of the mosque complex.

Tomb Of Salim Chishti• The tomb has been constructed on a platform which is about 1 m. high, a

flight of five steps leading to the entrance portico.• The main tomb building is enclosed by delicate marble screens on all

sides, and the tomb is located in the centre of the main hall, which has a single semi-circular dome.

• The marble building is beautifully carved, and has an ivory-like appearance.

• The plinth is ornamented with mosaics of black and yellow marble arranged in geometric patterns.

• A wooden canopy incrusted with mother-of-pearl inlay mosaic over it.• The door to the main chamber is intricately carved with arabesque

patterns and bears inscriptions from the Koran. Brown marble borders the interior bays while the relief panels - with the Koranic verses - have a blue background. The carved and painted tomb chamber has a white marble floor, which is inlaid with multicolored stones.

Diwan-i-Aam• Diwan-i-Aam or Hall of Public Audience, is a building typology found in

many cities where the ruler meets the general public. In this case, it is a pavilion-like multi-bayed rectangular structure fronting a large open space. South west of the Diwan-i-Am and next to the Turkic Sultana's House stand Turkic Baths.

Diwan-i-Khas• The Diwan-i-Khas or Hall of Private Audience, is a plain square building

with four chhatris on the roof. However it is famous for its central pillar, which has a square base and an octagonal shaft, both carved with bands of geometric and floral designs, further its thirty-six serpentine brackets support a circular platform for Akbar, which is connected to each corner of the building on the first floor, by four stone walkways. It is here that Akbar had representatives of different religions discuss their faiths and gave

private audience.

Ibadat Khana• (House of Worship) was a meeting house built in 1575 CE by the

Mughal Emperor Akbar, where the foundations of a new Syncretistic faith, Din-e-Ilahi were laid by Akbar.

• Akbar built the Ibādat Khāna as a debating house. He encouraged Hindus, Roman Catholics, Zoroastrians, Jains and even atheists to participate.

Anup Talao• A ornamental pool with a central platform and four bridges

leading up to it. Some of the important buildings of the royal enclave are surround by it including, Khwabgah(House of Dreams) Akbar's residence, Panch Mahal, a five-storey palace, Diwan-i-Khas(Hall of Private Audience), Ankh Michauli and the Astrologer's Seat, in the south-west corner of the Pachisi Court.

Hujra-i-Anup• The Elegant pavilion

consists of a small chamber surrounded by a verandah supported on a richly carved columns.

• Its interior as well as exterior has ornamental belief or geometrical and floral designs in red sandstone which give the Impression Of Timber decoration.

Mariam-uz-Zamani• The building of Akbar's Rajput wives, including Mariam-uz-

Zamani, shows Gujarati influence and is built around a courtyard, with special care being taken to ensure privacy.

Naubat Khana• Also known as Naqqar Khana meaning a drum house, where

musician used drums to announce the arrival of the Emperor. It is situated ahead of the Hathi Pol Gate or the Elephant Gate, the south entrance to the complex, suggesting that it was the imperial entrance.

Pachisi Court• A square marked out as a large board game, the precursor to

modern day Ludo game where people served as the playing pieces.

Panch Mahal• A five-storied palatial structure, with the tiers gradually diminishing in size,

till the final one, which is a single large-domed chhatri. Originally pierced stone screens faced the facade and probably sub-divided the interior as well, suggesting it was built for the ladies of the court. The floors are supported by intricately carved columns on each level, totalling to 176 columns in all.

Birbal’s Residence• The house of Akbar's favourite minister, who was a Hindu.

Notable features of the building are the horizontal sloping sunshades or chajjas and the brackets which support them.

Thank You

Submitted to Ar Tilak Raj SirH.O.DJagannath University