Following our visit to the Taj Mahal, Ken visited Fatehpur Sikri and Pam visited the Agra Fort.
Fatehpur Sikri was founded as the capital of the Mughal Empire in 1571. The city was built in celebration of the birth of the Emperor Akbar’s first son. All of the buildings are built entirely of red sandstone, and we were once again struck by the incredible craftsmanship on display in the detail of the carvings and paintings.
India is an incredibly hot place. To help keep things cool, the Emperor had canals incorporated throughout the city, both inside the buildings and among the buildings and courtyards. Some of the interior canals were filled with rose water that worked much like our room deodorizers do today. Others had clear water that was available for drinking. If one got thirsty, you could kneel down and scoop up a palm of water any time. The canals also helped to keep things cool. All of the buildings were built with four entrances to allow for the greatest amount of air circulation. It wasn’t air conditioning, but it was better than nothing!
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