View of Panch Mahal and other buildings at Fatehpur Sikri

Fatehpur Sikri, a remarkable palace complex, was built by the Mughal Emperor Akbar during the years of his reign, 1571–1585. It was the political capital of the Mughal empire during Akbar's reign, but was abandoned soon after. Fatehpur Sikri was a favorite subject for nineteenth- century photographers traveling in India and it remains a popular tourist site today.

Although Akbar himself was illiterate, his courts at Agra, Delhi, Lahore, and Fatehpur Sikri were centers of the arts, letters, and learning. At Fatehpur Sikri, for example, over 100 workshops housed artisans of each craft and art, including dance and music, as well as a library of 4,000 books.

The design of Fatehpur Sikri is distinctive in the history of Mughal architecture as a whole but may be regarded as characteristic of Akbar's reign.