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Built by Mughal emperor Akbar in 1571 in honor of the famous sufi saint Salim Chisti Fatehpur Sikri was the Mughal Capital for 14 years.An example of a mughal walled city with defined private and public areas and imposing gateway, its architecture, a blend of Hindu and Islamic styles, reflect Akbar’s secular vision as well his style of governance. After the city was abandoned some say for lack of water, many of its treasure were plundered. It owes its present state of preservation to the initial efforts of Lord Curzon a legendary conservationist.
The principal building of the imperial palace compex clustered on a series of terraces along the sandstone ridge formed the core of Akbar’s city. Stylistically they marked the absorption of Gujarat into the Mughal Empire and reveal a successful synthesis of pre-islamic Hindu and Jain architecture with elegant domes and arches of Islamic buildings. The concentric terraces clearly divide the public spaces from the private royal quarters. The buildings, mostly in Akbar’s favourite red sandstone were quarried from the ridge on which they stand.