Fatehpur Sikri

MOHD ZAID KHAN

ASHAD ALAM
CHESHAM ALTAF SHAH

Location

Fatehpur Sikri is a fortified city 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.

The city came into being after Akbar decided to construct it
in 1571 on the same place where the birth of his son
Jahangir was predicted by the wise sheikh Salim Chisti.

Unlike Agra, that was a thriving centre of trade, Sikri was a
little village.

It was abandoned 20 years later by Akbar, due to inadequate
supply of water to growing population.


The palace complex is situated on the ridge of a hill about 40

meters in height by the side of an artificial lake.

There were two main phases of construction for the
complex: 1572 to 1575, when the main buildings were raised
and finished, and 1575 to 1585, when passages and corridors
where added to the existing buildings according to the
needs of the Emperor and his family.

The City

Most of the buildings are made up of red sandstone due to

easy availability. The buildings were skillfully planned
keeping in mind the climatic conditions, the geology of the
terrain, the need of its occupants, its usage keeping,
proper ventilation, and sanitation needs. Buildings meant
for women ensured privacy in accordance with the 'purdah'
system.


The whole complex is spread in three plateaus on receding

levels with respect to the topography of the ridge.

The town is fortified on

three sides with eight
gateways and has an
artificial lake on the
fourth side. The
monuments here can
be classified into four
main categories -The
Sacred Complex, The
Royal Complex, The
Imperial Harem and
Other Monuments.

The mosque complex is located on the uppermost level of

the ridge, and consists of the Great Mosque (Jami Masjid,
with the tomb of Shaykh Salim Chisti incorporated into its
courtyard), which dominates the entire architectural
composition by means of its size, and a small palatial
complex called the Nayabad quarter (including the Rang
Mahal).

The Middle Plateau

The two lower

platforms, covering
approximately 250
square meters, the
buildings of the
complex can be
grouped in two main
zones.

The Lower Plateau

The middle plateau is the

most private.

The lowest plateau is occupied by

the public and semi-public areas of
the palace complex.

Housing the residential

buildings: the northern
palace (Birbals Palace), the
Shaqh-i Isbal (Jodh Bais
Palace), the Sonahra
Makan (Miriams Palace),
the guest house
(hospitalia) and the stables
(Shahi Bazar and Mina
Bazar).

The public audience hall (Diwan-i

Am), the (attributed) private
audience hall (Diwan-i Khass), the
Ank Michauli and Astrologers Seat,
the Panj Mahal, the imperial
apartments (Khwabgah), the royal
quarters (Daulat Khana), including
the library (Kutubkhana), the state
archives (Daftar Khana), the Anup
Talao pavilion and the storage
house (Abdar Khana).

Most of the buildings of the public
and semi-public area face east,
while the Khwabgah faces north.

PLANNING OF THE CITY AND VISUAL AXISES.

Symmetry and multiple axis through
the plan of fatehpur sikri looks
irregular but there is order in
planning.
Diwan e khaas and aankh micholi are
symmetrical about east west axis
diwan e khaas has a visual
relationship with khwaagaah located
on southern side.
Water body near khwaabgaah linked
with Maryam house along its east
west axis.
The buland darwaza imposed itself
as and individual building, not
harmonizes with rest of the building
and its position is not aligned with
the tomb of sheikh salim chishti
which is exactly opposite to the
gate.
The location of diwaan e aam kept at
the entrance by breaking the
symmetry due to security reasons.

The Sacred
Complex
Comprised of the Jami Masjid, Salim Chisti tomb, the stone
cutters mosque, the Hammam, the Badshahi Darwaza and
the Buland Darwaza
The JAMI MASJID

The first major structure built at the site was Jami Masjid
(congregational mosque) which was completed in 1571.

At the time of its construction it was the biggest mosque in
India measuring 160 m east- west by 130 m north-south.


The central courtyard is surrounded by arcades of pointed

arches which lead into small cell-like rooms.

The stone cutters

mosque and the
Hammam towards the
north of the masjid,
the Buland Darwaza on
the south, the
Badshahi Darwaza on
the east, and the tomb
in the central
courtyard.

The centre of the west of the courtyard is dominated by the

sanctuary which has a huge central iwan leading on to a
domed area in front of the main mihrab.

Either side of the central dome are two smaller domes each
covering the area in front of a smaller mihrab.

The centric mosque also

provided a visual focus
and guided the location
of several other
important buildings. For
example Diwan-I- Khas,
Khwabagh and the
centric mosque are all in
one axis.


The place where the ruler meets the general public. Diwan-IAam is a typical feature of all the Mughal palaces.

The first court of the palace complex towards the Diwan-I
Aam, the entrance to Akbar's private residence.

Diwan-I-Aam

At one end of the court is an elevated pavilion. The pierced

stone screens are most noteworthy. Now the open court is
converted into a garden with lawn, where once stood the
courtiers in humility.

An oblong complex comprising a large quadrangular space,
112.38 meters north-south and 55.20 meters east-west, it is
wrapped by a colonnaded passageway (dalan) composed of
one hundred and eleven bays.

Diwan-I-Khas

Ceremonial Platform

The free-standing structure situated in the centre of this
courtyard has come to be identified as the Diwan-I Khas.

This is a square two-storey building with a balcony. It stands
on a panelled plinth, 0.75 meters high. From outside it
appears double-storied; its four elevations are identical.

The arrangement of a square building with a central pillar
may reflect some Hindu mandala whereby the central
column represents the axis of the world.


Daulat Khana means "treasury." Daulat Khana is one of the

monuments of Fatehpur Sikri.

Daulat Khana

The Daulat Khana was Akbars private quarters. It

overlooked the palace of his Turkish Queen. The Daulat
Khana housed the imperial library and sleeping quarters.

The emperor also had a resting area on the same
floor. The sleeping quarters, Khwabgah, was on the
second floor, decorated with Persian insciptions.


The Anup Talao, or "peerless pool," was completed in 1576

on a wide platform (chabutara) to the north of the
Khwabgah (imperial apartments) in the Mahal-I Khas
courtyard.

Anup Talao

Another name for the Anup Talao, the "Char-Chamad,"

refers to four bridges. The tank served to cool the air near
the Khwabagh. It formed part of a system of mini-tanks and
canals built on the eastern platform of the Khwabgah.

The tank was originally filled via one water channel from the
waterworks near the Elephant Gate to the west: the water
was carried via a stone duct north of Birbals Place, Miriams
Garden, and the Kothi.

A second channel came from the eastern waterworks.
Overflow was diverted to the tank found north of the
building with a central column (Ekastambha-Prasada), to
keep the level of water in the Anup Talao constant.

Astrologers
Seat

The emperor would sit here

and watch the distribution of
the copper coins which
contemporary European
travellers say usually heaped
in the courtyard to pay
subordinate officers

IMPERIAL
HARAM

An enclosure where women of the royal household lived in

protected environs. It included the panch mahal, Jodh Bais
palace, Maryams house and birbals house. Each was
connected with other by covered passages, and screened off
to the east from the Daulat khan


The Panch Mahal is a rectangular colonnaded structure open

on all sides.

Panch Mahal

It is positioned to act as a "transition" building between the

semi-public spaces that surround the Daulat Khana courtyard
and the more private spaces of the Royal Harem.

The building is comprised of five levels, with the
ground floor, and the upper floors decreasing in
their horizontal dimensions as they rise, forming
an asymmetrical pyramid stacked over the
southeast corner.

The total height of the structure equals the total
length of its ground floor.


The Shabistan-i Iqbal, or Principal Haram Sara, is the largest

and best-preserved of the residences of the imperial zenana
(harem sara). Its popular name, Jodhabais Palace. The
haram sarai is a double-storied structure composed of
rooms arranged around a big open-air courtyard.

Jodhas Palace

An adjunct structure housing baths and latrines
projects to the south, and a balcony connected
to a viaduct projects to the north.


At the rear of the principal Haram sarai, is a large colonnaded

Lower Haram
Sarai

enclosure. It has been variously called the imperial stables for

camels, elephants or the emperors choicest horses. The place
must have been allotted to the serving maids of the ladies
palaces. The sanitary needs of the staff were met with a
hammam at the eastern end of the block.

Birbals House

Birbals House: Though it is named so, chances are

unlikely that this was used by this famous minister of
Akbar. This is one of the most beautiful buildings within
the palace complex.

Thank You
Chesham altaf shah, mohd zaid khan, ashad alam.
B.Arch. III Year sfs