Fatehpur Sikri
Fatehpur Sikri or ‘City of Victory’ is situated 35 km. from Agra. Sikri, a small village, was known in the times of Akbar because of a Sufi saint, Sheikh Salim Chishti, who lived there. Akbar, without heirs at that stage, decided to consult him. He predicted the birth of three sons, and shortly afterwards, one of the emperor’s wives gave birth to the first son, called Salim (aka Jehangir), out of gratitude to the saint. Below, entrance to Fatehpur Sikri.
Akbar was so happy with the predictions of Salim Chishti, he declared Sikri to be a place of good omens, and decided to live there permanently. The new city was built in record time and became the capital of the kingdom for 17 years, during which time it was populated by 200,000 people. Below, the mausoleum of Salim Chishti.
