Built between 1571 and 1585 by Mughal emperor Akbar near the village of the Sufi saint Salim Chishti, Fatehpur Sikri is regarded as Akbar's crowning architectural legacy. The red sandstone city — palaces, halls, mosques, and courtyards — was the Mughal capital for only fourteen years before being abandoned, apparently because the water supply dried up. It is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and one of the best-preserved Mughal complexes in India, 37 km west of Agra.
The highlights are the Buland Darwaza (Victory Gate), at 54 metres the highest gateway in the world; the delicate white marble tomb of Salim Chishti inside the Jama Masjid courtyard, its jali screens hung with the threads of supplicants; the Panch Mahal, a five-storey pavilion that gets progressively smaller toward the top; and the Diwan-i-Khas, where Akbar's famous central pillar — covered in motifs from every religion — held up the platform from which he held debates with Hindu, Christian, Jain, and Zoroastrian scholars.
Buses and taxis run from Agra; allow half a day. Don't be intimidated by the touts; entry is the small ASI ticket and a separate (free) entrance to the mosque.