IDNO

P.97214.WIL

Description

View of the courtyard of the Jami Masjid (mosque) at Fatehpur Sikri with the Buland Darwaza (Gate of Mignifcence) in the centre, the corner of the palace on the right, and the white marble encased Tomb of Salim Chisti on the left. The Gateway was built by Akbar, probably following his victory over Gujarat in 1575. The Tomb has geometrical lattice work screens and a canopy inlaid with mother-of-pearl below the dome. [JD 6/5/2008]

On Cech’s list describing prints:
“(224-236 were taken during a sight-seeing tour the Williamsons made in North India, ending up in Delhi.)
225b. “Tomb of Sheikh Salim Chishti, Fatehpur Sikri 28.1.34 (Peggy)”.” [printed text]
For more information see Cech’s list.

Place

S Asia; India; Uttar Pradesh; Agra; Fatehpur Sikri

Cultural Affliation

Named Person

Photographer

Williamson, Margaret

Collector / Expedition

Date

28 January 1934

Collection Name

Williamson Collection

Source

Williamson, Margaret

Format

Print Black & White

Primary Documentation

Other Information

The transcription of this album by Mark Turin and Sara Shneiderman was carried out with reference to Krystina Cech’s catalogue list alone. Alex Nadin has since revised their cataloguing by systematically matching their records to the images. Margaret Williamson’s handwritten captions for photographs have now been transcribed into the Inscription field, and Cech’s descriptions appear in the Description field. Correct entries for Place, Named Person and Other Nos. have also been entered by Alex Nadin. [Sudeshna Guha 29/10/2002]

Named Person: “Shaikh Salim Chisti (1478-1572) was a highly-revered Sufi saint who the great Mughal Emperor Akbar used to visit. Legend has it that Chisti's blessings finally resulted in the birth of a son for the emperor and that the saint also correctly predicted two more would follow. In his honour, Akbar founded his new capital in Chisti's home town of Sikri and renamed it Fatehpur Sikri. After Chisti's death, Akbar had a tomb of marble built for him in the courtyard of the magnificent Jama Masjid at the new capital.” [Source: BBC History, www.bbc.co.uk/history/ancient/india/gal_india_north_06.shtml, JD 6/5/2008]

Place: “Built during the second half of the 16th century by the Emperor Akbar, Fatehpur Sikri (the City of Victory) was the capital of the Mughal Empire for only some 10 years. The complex of monuments and temples, all in a uniform architectural style, includes one of the largest mosques in India, the Jama Masjid.” It became an Unesco World Heritage site in 1986. [Source: Unesco World Heritage, http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/255/, JD 6/5/2008]

This catalogue record has been updated with the support of the Getty Grant Program Two. [Jocelyne Dudding 6/5/2008]