A brief stop before Agra!

This is Fatehpur Sikri. A confession -- we had no idea what this was until our driver told he would stop there so we could walk around. We quickly scanned the book and set off. A motorized rickshaw took us to the top. I was charmed. The driver had his young son with him who was very cute. :)

So back to the complex. From Jason: Built by the Mughal emperor Akbar in 1571. It was built in honor of the famous Sufi saint Salim Chishti. It was also the Mughal capital for fourteen years.

From Meghan: Its a nice complex. Smells a little really. But certainly a great and well preserved example of Mughal power and opulence.
Jason is standing at the entrance to a back area of the complex.

A close up. He's just cute!

Wow. It was so muggy that day. Unbearably so. I should take a moment to mention that although we are here in the off season, we have been surprised by the nice weather. Granted its been ridiculously hot, but overall its been sunny, with few clouds. Until Agra. Well, until the moment of this picture. The skies were darkening and the humidity was over 100%. Okay, not possible, but you get the point!

This is the Diwan-i-Khas. The historians think this was perhaps a debating chamber. I overheard an "official guide" telling some tourists that the ruler always sat in the middle of this structure and his cabinet sat along the beams. Shortly there after Jason heard an official guide telling his tourists that the haram gathered in the six windows around the building and stare into the courtyard, while the rulers sat in the middle and monitor it all. Who knows. The building was amazing nonetheless.