Akbar's Tomb, Sikandra

Akbar's Tomb at Sikandra, about 10 km from central Agra, is the burial place of the Mughal emperor Akbar and is sometimes called Sikandra Fort. Following family custom, Akbar picked the site for his own grave, and he wanted a monument that expressed his openness to many faiths. After his death his son Jahangir took up the project and built the tomb in 1613.

The complex has four gateways. The northern one is weathered by storms and lightning; the eastern and western ones carry stucco, mosaics and small domed chhatris; and the southern gateway, with its massive central arch, is the main entrance. From there a stone causeway runs between tree-lined lawns, where deer, monkeys and peacocks are often seen, to the tomb itself. It rises in five tiers like a stepped pyramid, with vaulted iwans decorated in mosaic and a crown of chhatris and minarets. Graves of Akbar's daughters and of the Mughal princess Zeb-un-Nisa are also in the complex.