Fatehpur Sikri A marvelous example of designing on contours. Sonakshi Sharma B. Arch IIIrd Year DAY
INTRODUCTION
SITE SELECTION
The fortified city of Fatehpur Sikri was a short-lived capital of the third Mughal Emperor Akbar between 1571 and 1585 AD. Located about 40 kms southwest from the former capital of Agra (in present day Uttar Pradesh), Fatehpur Sikri is an Indo-Islamic masterpiece planned meticulously on the vast contours of the Sikri Hill.
For Akbar, Sikri had great significance. It was here that Akbar’s grandfather, the first Mughal Emperor Babur, in 1527 to commemorate the victory against Mewar’s Rana Sangam, had constructed the “Victory Palace” which included a few chahar bagh (gardens) and baolis (step-wells) among other buildings.
Often described as a Utopian City, Akbar wanted to create a physical manifestation of his ambitions of a society and religion based on his understanding of all the major world religions, which could be achieved by constructing this city.
Moreover to add to the site’s significance, the village of Sikri was the abode of the Sufi saint Salim Chisti. On an earlier visit to the village, the saint had predicted the birth of Akbar’s son Jahangir. Hence to further sanctify the site and to honour the Sufi saint, a citadel was constructed.
Despite the zeal with which Fatehpur Sikri was constructed, it was abandoned only fifteen years later in 1585. Reasons such as water shortage and the shift of Akbar’s political landscape towards Afghanistan are the reasons often cited for the city’s desertion.
Strategically speaking, the city set atop the Sikri hill, provided Akbar with the gateway towards Gujarat for potential expansion. The only major drawback of the site was the scarcity of water. The absence of a perennial source of water and only few seasonal showers of
Figure 01: Panoramic view of Fatehpur Sikri Source: http://images.mid-day.com/
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rain, Sikri was dependent on their ground water, but that was saline.
SITE PLANNING AND SPATIAL ORGANIZATION To ensure maximum order and convenience, Akbar had formulated a flexible sequence regarding the zoning of the various spaces required. Previously, this arrangement was used as the basis of camp layout, which the Mughals utilized since they were constantly on the move. Eventually, this became the basis for the planning of Fatehpur Sikri. The city of Fatehpur Sikri sits atop a 40m high promontory running diagonally northeastwards. It is protected by fortified walls on three sides with a total length of about 6 kms while the seasonal river, Khaari Nadi (Salty Lake) stands as a natural barrier on the northern edge of the city.
To make the project economical and eco friendly, existing natural level of ground was maintained and the city was planned according to the contours of the Sikri Hill. The entrance of the city is from the north-east through the Naubat Khana, which is a drum house. Adjacent to it, on its south-west is a square single storied building, used as the Taksal (mint house) or treasury. Opposite to it is the Karkhana (workshop). Moving further south-west is the Diwan-i-Aam or the Hall of Public Audience which is a pavilion-like multi-bayed rectangular structure where Akbar met with the general public. Adjoining it is the Diwan-i-Khas or the Hall of Private Audience. It is a plain square building with four chhatris on the roof, where Akbar had representatives from various religions discuss their faith and had a private audience. Adjacent to it is the Pachisi Court, which was Akbar’s large lifesize board game, the precursor to modern day Ludo. Panch Mahal is a five-storied structure with receding tiers which acted as a viewing gallery for the Pachisi Court and Anup Talao, which is a pool with a platform at the center for musical performances. Next to it was the Khwabgah, Akbar’s residence. This was then connected to Jodha’s Palace and the harem through covered corridors that ensured their privacy. Connected to this were other spaces such as Meena Bazaar. Adjacent to it was the camel stable, Samoosa Mahal and Ibadat Khaana, the place where Din-e-Ilahi, Akbar’s new syncretistic faith’s foundation was laid. Abutting the latter is the Jami Masjid which houses the tomb of the Sufi saint Salim Chisti in its courtyard. The mosque has a separate entry for the king called the Badshahi Darwaza on the east and the magnificent Buland Darwaza on the south. In addition, Karwan Sarai is located on the banks of Khari Nadi. Various tanks, baolis (stepwell) and hamam (turkish baths) are located in the periphery of the city.
Figure 02: Sketch of Fatehpur Sikri Source: Author
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I. Hierarchy:
buildings located around the periphery respond according to the topography as the slopes here are steep and subsequently the transition from one area to the other became drastic.
The city is broadly divided into three parts, on the basis of their functionality and in terms of hierarchy, both societal and geographical.
However, the buildings and courtyards in these complexes are then seamlessly connected with the help of ramps, staircases, platforms etc.
EFFECT OF CONTOURS
1. Sahn-i-Ibadat (Sacred Complex): This complex lies on the highest level as it consists of religious buildings of the city i.e. the mosque Jami Masjid, the tomb of Salim Chisti and Ibadat Khana. 2. Sahn-i-Khaas (Royal Complex): This complex lies on the terrace below the Sacred Complex but above the Public Complex. It consists of palaces such as Mehel-e-Ilahi (King’s Palace), Raani Vaas (Queen’s Palace) along with offices, library, bazaars, camel and horses stable etc. 3. Sahn-i-Rayyat (Public Complex): This complex lies on the lowest level of the city as it consists of public areas such as Diwan-e-Aam, Diwan-e-Khaas, Panch Mahal, Pachisi Court etc.
Figure 04: Zoning of Fatehpur Sikri Source: Author
Figure 03: Schematic diagram representing the hierarchy Source: Author
This hierarchy has been emphasised by the change in their levels as they have been skillfully integrated with contours of the Sikri hill. The topography helps in breaking the conventional rigid geometry as it splits it into terraces. However, these terraces witness subtle as well as drastic changes in level. The Sehne Khaas (Royal Complex) is spread over a comparatively flat part of the ridge. Here the transition from one area to another becomes subtle. On the other hand,
II. Orientation: Rather than following the incidental disposition of the site, the majority of the buildings and courtyards are aligned parallel to the Jami Masjid, which being a mosque was cardinally aligned, and placed on the top. Since these are located on a comparatively flat part of the ridge, flexibility in terms of their orientation has been brilliantly utilized. On the other hand, for the reason of convenience, the service areas such as the hamam (turkish baths), baolis (step-wells), treasuries, tanks and 3
workshops were laid with the contours of the ridge. This resulted in an open plan design as the placement of the buildings was a combination of parallel and diagonal hence producing open areas around the city.
III. Water Supply: Since the city had no perennial source of water and only few seasonal showers of rain, it was dependent on its groundwater, but that was saline. In addition, since the complex was located on the top of the ridge, supplying water to an elevated site was another obstacle. These issues were solved by the methods of harvesting rainwater and run-off, by constructing an artificial lake and raising water.
World Wide Web Address Sumra, Asha (Unknown). Fatehpur Sikri; ciudad deaguas. Available: HTTPS://WIKI.EAD.PUCV.CL/FATEHPUR_SIKRI;_CIUD AD_DE_AGUAS Ali, Asif (2013). Syncretic Architecture Of Fatehpur Sikri: A Symbol Of Composite Culture. Available: https://www.academia.edu/4096587/SYNCRETIC_ARCHIT ECTURE_OF_FATEHPUR_SIKRI_A_SYMBOL_OF_CO MPOSITE_CULTURE?auto=download Rana, Masud (2017). Fatehpur Sikri Architecture, Design and Construction. Available: http://architectboy.com/fatehpur-sikri-architecture/
The slopes of the hill helped easing the collection of rainwater and run-off to various baolis and tanks across the site and once the water was raised with the help of the Persian Wheel, distributing it to the lower parts became easier.
CONCLUSION In contrast to other Islamic complexes, the city of Fatehpur Sikri stands unique as it is laid out as a sequential organization of spaces with varying levels of privacy. With terracing, a literal hierarchy was created, which descended from sacred to palatial to finally public and also facilitated the movement of water. These levels and spaces have been closely articulated, however the degree of transition varies within the complex which differ according to their importance.
REFERENCES Printed Book Brown, P. (1968) Indian Architecture: Islamic Period. Mumbai: D. B. Taraporevala Sons Nath, R. (1982) Islamic Architecture and Culture in India. New Delhi: B. R. Publishing Corporation
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