Buland Darwaza – The “Gate of Magnificence”
Buland Darwaza is the monument that is placed in Fatehpur Sikri close to Agra. It is a big monument that is completely art using the Mughal style of architecture. The name means it is a huge gate and it is the known highest gate in the world. It is also named as the “Gate of Magnificence”. It has attracted a huge number of people and has inspired many of them by its style of architecture.
History of Buland Darwaza
Akbar constructed this structure in 1575 to honor the defeat of the Khandesh and Ahmednagar in Gujarat in 1573. It has made its identity in this place. You can also find the inscription of Akbar’s conquest of Deccan in the year 1601 on the eastern archway of the gateway.
Architectural facts
It is made of red sandstone and is well designed using the black and white marble. It is proof of the early Mughal architecture. It is at a height of greater than the Jama Masjid and it seems to be the entrance gateway to the mosque. It is shaped in a semi octagonal method and it stands with the help of pillars and chhatris. You can see the 13 small domed cabins that have their roofs decorated in an artistic way. You can also find the stylized wall and small towers. The most attractive feature is the inscriptions made on the wall and the pillars. You can find a number of cantos of the Quran inscribed on the monument. It also contains the quote of Jesus Christ that says, “The World is but a bridge, pass over but build no houses on it”. It has also depicted the religious tolerance of the Great Akbar.
Features of the gateway
It is a structure whose height is about 176 feet and is 35 meters wide. There are 45 steps that have to be climbed to reach the gateway that steeps down the hill and it gives the gateway an additional height. It is a 15-storied high gateway that protects the Northeastern entrance of the city.