Fatehpur Sikri is a rather interesting site as it reflects mughal ambition as if carved in stone and left for us to wonder.

The city was in many ways akbar's attemt to reinvent the mughal dynasty and in such way it also reflects its eventual failure to do so. Mughal India would never again follow the syncretic ideals of akbar and his city was left instead collecting dust.

I would've given the site 1 star less had it not been for the mosque, which is delightful in its ambition. The tomb of Salim Chishti (photo) brings the jali to its ultimate form, creating a semi exterior gallery of outmost delicacy. Meanwhile the darwaza shows mughal architects were not afraid to use size to its most dramatic extremes in order to create majestic settings. The mosque is also refreshingly active, something I found lacking in agra's and Delhi's jama masjids.

Overall while I was somewhat disappointed with the palace complex, the mosque was the best I saw in the Golden triangle.