All this walking has brought me (virtually) to the fifth UNESCO site on the route.
A few paragraphs down the email, this excerpt was quite interesting:
The most striking feature of Fatehpur is the incredibly grand entrance to the Jama Masjid (mosque), referred to as Buland Darwaza (High Gate). It was rebuilt by Akbar to celebrate the success of one of his military campaigns. A semi-octagonal structure, it stands at 177ft (54m) high with a massive central archway topped with several dome-shaped pavilions. Persian inscriptions are on its walls detailing Akbar’s conquests along with verses from the Quran. It is the highest gateway in the world reached by climbing 42 steps.
Akbar was well known for his religious tolerances and it was at Fatehpur where he built the Ibadat Khana (House of Worship), a place where he aimed to gather spiritual leaders to discuss teachings of their respective religions. He was so intrigued by the different teachings, that he was inspired to create his own religion, known as Din-i-llahi, intending to merge some of the best practices of all religions within his empire as a way to “reconcile the differences that divided his subjects”.
That seems like a weird way to try to bring a divided people together… but I guess he gets an A for effort.
It looks like I have to cover a good many miles to the next postcard. Wish me luck!
aka gringita 