India - June, 1987
page three
It's a short ride from Agra to the city of Fatehpur Sikri, a perfectly preserved Moghul city on the edge of the Rajastan Desert abandoned at the end of the 16th century. Because it's by the desert, camels are almost as common as cars.
There is a village at the base of the city; from there you climb a steep flight of steps to the top of the Sikri ridge to enter through the Buland Darwaza.
The city is simply stunning. It was built in the 16th century by the Emperor Akbar, when he chose to move his capital from Delhi. It was intended as a tribute to a saint who (accurately) predicted that his wife would finally bear him sons. Only 15 years after it was completed, however, it became clear that there wasn't a sustainable source of water, and Fatehpur Sikri was abandoned. Fortunately, weather, geology and politics have combined to preserve this Moghul masterpiece.
Everywhere you look, there is intricately carved decorative stonework. At the tomb of the saint, Shaikh Salim Chisti, the stone wall is carved into a screen. Even the pillars are usually intricately carved stone.
Many of the buildings are tombs or religious structures. The Jami Masjid Mosque was the largest mosque in India when it was built. And the tomb of saint is still revered by childless women. There was also (of course) a harem, a girl's school, the Halls of Private and Public Audiences, and so much more, all of which survive intact.
The sky in many of these photos looks almost white, and it looked and felt that way the day I was there. (Don't go to India in June if you can choose another time...) The daytime temperature hit something on the order of 55 degrees centigrade -- 131 degrees fahrenheit. Dehydration is a real risk. And the winds off the Rajastan Desert were blistering. It was the only time in my life I ever felt cooler in direct sunshine and out of the wind rather than in the shade but in the wind.
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Camels on roadside
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Village
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Buland Darwaza
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Buland Darwaza - rear
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Saint's tomb
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Stonework screen
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Carved pillar
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Jami Masjid Mosque
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Islam Khan's Tomb
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Courtyard, Panch Mahal
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Diwan-i-Khas Hall
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Panch Mahal
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Jodhi Bai Courtyard
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