Taken From All About My Hat The Hippy Trail 1972 ISBN 978-0993210716
The next day, Al decided to take a twenty-five mile taxi ride to 'Fatehpur Sikri'.
He read about the place in a book at the Tourist Bungalow and it sounded fascinating. He borrowed the book to take along with him.
“Fatehpur Sikri is a deserted city founded in 1569 by the Mughal emperor Akbar, a planned walled city He named the city, Fatehabad, with Fateh, a word of Arabic origin in Persian, meaning "victorious." it was later called Fatehpur Sikri.
“The Imperial complex was abandoned in 1585, shortly after its completion, due to paucity of water and its proximity with the Rajputana areas in the North-West, which were increasingly in turmoil.
“Today much of the imperial complex which spread over nearly two mile long and one mile wide area is largely intact and resembles a ghost town. It is still surrounded by a five mile long wall built during its original construction, on three sides. However apart from the imperial buildings complex few other buildings stand in the area, which is mostly barren.”
The walled palace was mostly a pink red sandstone and quite massive. Al had to pay an entrance fee. There were several levels to explore. Al soon found the magnificent Tomb of Salim Chisti, a renowned Sufi saint, with its delicate carvings.
There were many other buildings to see that he did not read about and also some magnificent views over the walls and across the plain. Al enjoyed the place and vowed to return. He enjoyed the tranquillity, with very few tourists wandering around.
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