India: Fatehpur Sikri
Fatehpur Sikri was the capital of the Mughal empire from 1572 to 1585 under the first emperor, Akbar. He founded his capital here because a local Sufi saint promised him help with the birth of his first heir son. Akbar built a mosque and three lavish palaces in Fatehpur – one for each of his three favorite wives (one was a Hindu, one was Muslim, and the third was Christian). The palaces are all open air layout made from dark red sandstone. What’s amazing is that the sandstone is so intricately carved with various geometric and floral designs that the walls and columns appear to almost be made out of wood. Each palace blends Hindu, Persian, and some Christian traditions. The highly ornamental Anup Talao – a small hall – is perhaps the most impressive: just mindboggling carved details on the walls/ceilings/columns/
