January 19, 2005 - page 2



called the site a mosque, but no one worshipped there. The title of mosque was insult to injury, a display of the might of Islam.

The builders of Qutb Minar did not disregard the commandment against graven images, but in later years, Emperor Akbar did. His courtly city of Fatehpur Sikri combined Hindu and Islamic architecture deliberately and gracefully. There is no sense of competition between styles.

The harmony in the carving at Fatehpur Sikri is more beautiful than anything at Qutb Minar. The carvings of figures soften the sometimes harsh geometric patterns, and the symmetry of Islamic style lends balance to the chaos of Hindu carving. Akbar hoped this architecture would represent his new religion, which fused Hinduism and Islam. But Fatehpur Sikri, like Akbar’s plan to bring his people together, lies abandoned. The details of its once colorful paintings have almost completely vanished.

The builders of Qutb Minar did not disregard the commandment against graven images, but in later years, Emperor Akbar did. His courtly city of Fatehpur Sikri combined Hindu and Islamic architecture deliberately and gracefully. There is no sense of competition between styles. The harmony in the carving at Fatehpur Sikri is more beautiful than anything at Qutb Minar. The carvings of figures soften the sometimes harsh geometric patterns, and the symmetry of Islamic style lends balance to the chaos of Hindu carving. Akbar hoped this architecture would represent his new religion, which fused Hinduism and Islam. But Fatehpur Sikri, like Akbar’s plan to bring his people together, lies abandoned. The details of its once colorful paintings have almost completely vanished.