Arts And Arhitecture: Fatehpur Sikri - Agra

Fathepur Sikri is a Palace complex, built by the Mughal Emperor Abar in 1571- 1585 A.D.
One of the well-known Architecture in India.
The palace building is located on a hillside about 100 feet [40 m] above the artificial lake.
Akbar is responsible for the use of residence veneer, which gives the complex its characteristics hue.
There were two main stages in the construction of this building.
1572 to 15757 A.D., when the main building was raised and finished.
15757 to 1585, when passage and corridor added to building according to the need of the emperor and his family.
The complex served as the residence of the emperor for 14 years. in 1585 A.D. following a political and geographical shift of the empire, Akbar and his court satisfied transferred their residence to Lahore.

Architectural Features :

The following are the Architectural features of Fatehpur Sikri, Architecture in India.

It is situated on a long narrow ridge of Redstone that runs southwest to northeast.
The building inside the complex is rotated 45 degrees.
It is surrounded by enclosed walls that enclose the irregular place by about 2 miles and 1 mile long.
The whole complex is spread in the three Plates.
The mosque complex is located on the uppermost level of the ride and consists of a great mosque. The palace complex is laid out on the two lower platforms, covering 250 m sq.
The building of the complex can be grouped into two main zones.
The middle plateau is most private, housing the residential buildings, Birbal palace, Jodh Bai palace, Shahi Bazar, and Mina Bazar.Other buildings such as caravanserai, the Hiran Minar tower, hammam.
The dominant material used is red stone.
The building can be divided into two classes, the Religious and the secular.

The Jami Mosque at Fatehpur Sikri, Architecture in India, was built by Akbar in 1571.
It covers a rectangular area measuring 542 X 438 and a large yard.
The mosque follows the standard plan form with the central courtyard.
The sanctuary facade consists of a large rectangular Pishtaq in the center.
Above and behind these central features rises a large dome over the central nave.
Arrange pillared kiosks all along the entire parapet.
The nave is a square hall entered through three doorway.
The aisles are accessible by highways from the nave. In the center of each hallway is a small church building, covered with one of the two smaller domes.

Buland Darwaza is a gateway built by Akbar about 25 years after the Jami Mosque.
The gateway is 134' high and 42 steps.
The structure is 130' wide and 123' deep.
The facade is embowed by the means of 3 planes comprising a large central face and a lesser one on each side.

Buland Darwaza from Inside

The central plane is 86' wide and rectangular in shape.
The smaller planes are in three kevels varied opening at each stage. The main feature of the decorative treatment of the exterior facade is the wide border of the gate.

It is located in the courtyard of the Jami Masjid at Fatehpur Sikri.
Originally a sandstone structure, it was transformed into an expensive marble structure.
The tomb consists of a 24-sided square exterior of the '16-sided chamber', all covered by a lower dome.
A wide verandah is carried out the outside.
There are carved brackets all around to support the extremely wides eaves.
The pillars that make up the porch with their honeycomb capitals.

Jodh Bai palace is a structure built as the house of the principle, Queen.
Mariam was a Hindu, and the palace in all its construction and all its ornamentations belongs to the Hindu and Jamia style of Mariam's native country, Rajputra, It even contains a Hindu temple.
The palace in plan measure 215' X 320', consisting of a large central courtyard.
To the left of the door is a small guardhouse.
The external hall is 32' high plan.
The outer part of the wall is disturbed only three times, once by the east gatehouse, the Pavillion hanging from the Hawa Mahal.
One of the most interesting features is the Hawa Mahal, Here the ladies enjoy the cool breeze and the view of the lake.

Raja Birbal was a Barhaman, who came to Akbar's court at the beginning of his reign.
From the construction, it would appear that h the Hindu were the architects.
Birbal's house s a two-story structure.
The ground story is made up of two rooms and an open terrace.
The upper rooms are covered with cupolas while the galleries have a pyramidal roof.

The Diwan-i-Khas or a hall of a private audience is the most distinctive of the administration building at the Fatehpur, Architecture In India.
It is not a large structure, Externally, the structure is rectangular in plan with two-story.
The interior arrangement is quite unique.
From the platform, a stone bridge radiates along each diagonal of the hall to connect with hanging galleries that surrounded its upper portion.
The idea behind the arrangement is that the emperor would occupy the central position.