Fatehpur Sikri

Planning of the Palace Complex

Location

Fatehpur Sikri is a fortified cityinAgra districtin

thestateofUttar Pradesh, India.
The city was founded in 1569 by
theMughalemperorAkbar, and served as the
capital of the Mughal Empire from 1571 to 1585.
The city came into being after Akbar decided to
construct it in 1571 on the same place where the
birth of his son Jahangir was predicted by the
wise sheikh Salim Chisti.
Unlike Agra, that was a thriving centre of trade,
Sikri was a little village.
It was abandoned 20 years later by Akbar, due to
inadequate supply of water to growing
population.

 The palace complex is situated on the ridge of a hill

about 40 meters in height by the side of an
artificial lake.

The City

There were two main phases of construction for the

complex: 1572 to 1575, when the main buildings
were raised and finished, and 1575 to 1585, when
passages and corridors where added to the existing
buildings according to the needs of the Emperor
and his family.
Most of the buildings are made up of red sandstone
due to easy availability. The buildings were skillfully
planned keeping in mind the climatic conditions,
the geology of the terrain, the need of its
occupants, its usage keeping, proper
ventilation, and sanitation needs. Buildings
meant for women ensured privacy in accordance
with the 'purdah' system.

The town is
fortified on three
sides with eight
gateways and has
an artificial lake on
the fourth side.
The monuments
here can be
classified into four
main categories The Sacred
Complex, The
Royal Complex,
The Imperial
Harem and Other
Monuments.

The whole complex is spread in three plateaus on

receding levels with respect to the topography of
the ridge.
The mosque complex is located on the
uppermost level of the ridge, and consists of
the Great Mosque (Jami Masjid, with the tomb of
Shaykh Salim Chisti incorporated into its
courtyard), which dominates the entire
architectural composition by means of its size,
and a small palatial complex called the Nayabad
quarter (including the Rang Mahal).

The Middle Plateau

The two lower

platforms,
covering
approximately 250
square meters,
the buildings of
the complex can
be grouped in two
main zones.

The Lower Plateau

The middle plateau is

the most private.

The lowest plateau is occupied by

the public and semi-public areas
of the palace complex.

Housing the residential

buildings: the northern
palace (Birbals Palace),
the Shaqh-i Isbal (Jodh
Bais Palace), the
Sonahra Makan
(Miriams Palace), the
guest house (hospitalia)
and the stables (Shahi
Bazar and Mina Bazar).

The public audience hall (Diwan-i

Am), the (attributed) private
audience hall (Diwan-i Khass), the
Ank Michauli and Astrologers
Seat, the Panj Mahal, the imperial
apartments (Khwabgah), the royal
quarters (Daulat Khana),
including the library
(Kutubkhana), the state archives
(Daftar Khana), the Anup Talao
pavilion and the storage house
(Abdar Khana).
Most of the buildings of the public
and semi-public area face east,
while the Khwabgah faces north.

PLANNING OF THE CITY AND VISUAL

AXISES.
Symmetry

and multiple axis

through the plan of fatehpur
sikri looks irregular but there
is order in planning.
Diwan e khaas and aankh
micholi
are
symmetrical
about east west axis diwan e
khaas
has
a
visual
relationship with khwaagaah
located on southern side.
Water body near khwaabgaah
linked with Maryam house
along its east west axis.
The buland darwaza imposed
itself
as
and
individual
building, not harmonizes with
rest of the building and its
position is not aligned with
the tomb of sheikh salim
chishti
which
is
exactly
opposite to the gate.
The location of diwaan e aam

The Sacred
Complex

Comprised of the Jami Masjid, Salim Chisti tomb,

the stone cutters mosque, the Hammam, the
Badshahi Darwaza and the Buland Darwaza
The JAMI MASJID
The first major structure built at the site was Jami
Masjid (congregational mosque) which was
completed in 1571.
At the time of its construction it was the biggest
mosque in India measuring 160 m east- west by
130 m north-south.

 The central courtyard is surrounded by arcades

of pointed arches which lead into small cell-like
rooms.

The stone cutters

mosque and the
Hammam towards
the north of the
masjid, the Buland
Darwaza on the
south, the
Badshahi Darwaza
on the east, and
the tomb in the
central courtyard.

The centre of the west of the courtyard is

dominated by the sanctuary which has a huge
central iwan leading on to a domed area in front
of the main mihrab.
Either side of the central dome are two smaller
domes each covering the area in front of a
smaller mihrab.

The centric mosque

also provided a
visual focus and
guided the location
of several other
important
buildings. For
example Diwan-IKhas, Khwabagh
and the centric
mosque are all in
one axis.

 The place where the ruler meets the general public.

Diwan-I-Aam is a typical feature of all the Mughal
palaces.

Diwan-IAam

The first court of the palace complex towards the

Diwan-I Aam, the entrance to Akbar's private
residence.
At one end of the court is an elevated pavilion. The
pierced stone screens are most noteworthy. Now the
open court is converted into a garden with lawn,
where once stood the courtiers in humility.
An oblong complex comprising a large quadrangular
space, 112.38 meters north-south and 55.20 meters
east-west, it is wrapped by a colonnaded passageway
(dalan) composed of one hundred and eleven bays.

Diwan-IKhas

Ceremonial Platform
The free-standing structure situated in the centre
of this courtyard has come to be identified as the
Diwan-I Khas.
This is a square two-storey building with a
balcony. It stands on a panelled plinth, 0.75
meters high. From outside it appears doublestoried; its four elevations are identical.
The arrangement of a square building with a
central pillar may reflect some Hindu mandala
whereby the central column represents the axis
of the world.

 Daulat Khana means "treasury." Daulat Khana is

one of the monuments of Fatehpur Sikri.

Daulat
Khana

The Daulat Khana was Akbars private quarters.

It overlooked the palace of his Turkish Queen.
The Daulat Khana housed the imperial library
and sleeping quarters.
The emperor also had a resting area on
the same floor. The sleeping quarters,
Khwabgah, was on the second floor,
decorated with Persian insciptions.

 The Anup Talao, or "peerless pool," was

completed in 1576 on a wide platform
(chabutara) to the north of the Khwabgah
(imperial apartments) in the Mahal-I Khas
courtyard.

Anup Talao

Another name for the Anup Talao, the "CharChamad," refers to four bridges. The tank served
to cool the air near the Khwabagh. It formed part
of a system of mini-tanks and canals built on the
eastern platform of the Khwabgah.
The tank was originally filled via one water
channel from the waterworks near the Elephant
Gate to the west: the water was carried via a
stone duct north of Birbals Place, Miriams
Garden, and the Kothi.
A second channel came from the eastern
waterworks. Overflow was diverted to the tank
found north of the building with a central column
(Ekastambha-Prasada), to keep the level of water
in the Anup Talao constant.

Astrologers
Seat

The emperor would sit

here and watch the
distribution of the
copper coins which
contemporary
European travellers say
usually heaped in the
courtyard to pay
subordinate officers

IMPERIAL
HARAM

An enclosure where women of the royal

household lived in protected environs. It included
the panch mahal, Jodh Bais palace, Maryams
house and birbals house. Each was connected
with other by covered passages, and screened
off to the east from the Daulat khan

 The Panch Mahal is a rectangular colonnaded

structure open on all sides.

Panch
Mahal

It is positioned to act as a "transition" building

between the semi-public spaces that surround the
Daulat Khana courtyard and the more private
spaces of the Royal Harem.
The building is comprised of five levels,
with the ground floor, and the upper
floors decreasing in their horizontal
dimensions as they rise, forming an
asymmetrical pyramid stacked over the
southeast corner.
The total height of the structure equals
the total length of its ground floor.

Jodhas
Palace

The Shabistan-i Iqbal, or Principal Haram Sara, is

the largest and best-preserved of the residences
of the imperial zenana (harem sara). Its popular
name, Jodhabais Palace. The haram sarai is a
double-storied structure composed of rooms
arranged around a big open-air courtyard.

An adjunct structure housing baths and

latrines projects to the south, and a
balcony connected to a viaduct projects
to the north.

 At the rear of the principal Haram sarai, is a large

Lower
Haram
Sarai

colonnaded enclosure. It has been variously called

the imperial stables for camels, elephants or the
emperors choicest horses. The place must have
been allotted to the serving maids of the ladies
palaces. The sanitary needs of the staff were met
with a hammam at the eastern end of the block.

Birbals
House

Birbals House: Though it is named so,

chances are unlikely that this was used by
this famous minister of Akbar. This is one of
the most beautiful buildings within the
palace complex.

Thank You
Chesham altaf shah, mohd zaid khan, ashad alam.
B.Arch. III Year sfs