It is “The City of Victory”, Fatehpur Sikri, though despite the victory it was named for, it would be a true city for less than 15 years.  Created as the capital of the Mughal Empire by Emperor Akbar, Fatehpur Sikri was abandoned shortly after its completion due to an inability to provide water for its residents.  UNESCO named Fatehpur Sikri a World Heritage Site in 1986.

Construction of the city took place from 1571-1585 and mixed a collage of architectural influences, including Indian, Persian, Islamic, Hindu and Jain styles.  The city was built of the red sandstone that is common to the region and is beautiful to behold.  Despite several brief and unremarkable occupations, Fatehpur Sikri was not truly rediscovered until archaeologists started looking into it in 1892.

The entire city covers an area approximately one-by-two miles and it surrounded on three sides by a five-mile long wall, broken by seven gates and fortified by towers.  Inside the walls is a complex of monuments, temples, palaces, public buildings, gazebos, pavilions and mosques.  One of the largest mosques in India, the Jama Masjid, makes its home in the abandoned Fatehpur Sikri.

Some of the most wondrous of the buildings are the 5-storied Panch Mahal and its nearly 200 columns, the white marble-encased Tomb of the Sufi Saint Salim Chishti and the grand pavilion of Anup Talao, the Turkish Sultana.  The main entrance to the complex is the Buland Damaza, carved with commemorations of the victories for which the city was originally named.

Getting to Fatehpur Sikri means flying into nearby Agra and having to take a bus from there.  Though the main city is abandoned, there is a small population of fewer than 25,000 still in the area and accommodations for visitors are available.