Akbar's Tomb, Sikandra

Akbar's Tomb sits in Sikandra, on the Baipur Road in northwest Agra, Uttar Pradesh, about ten kilometres from the Taj Mahal. Emperor Akbar chose the site and began the mausoleum before his death in 1605, and his son Jahangir completed it in 1613. Unlike the single white dome of later Mughal tombs, it is a stepped, pyramid-like structure of red sandstone with inlaid white marble, rising in tiers beneath an open marble pavilion at the top. The setting is a large charbagh garden of roughly 120 acres divided by raised walkways and water channels, where spotted deer and langur monkeys roam freely. Visitors enter through four gateways, of which the southern Buland Darwaza is the most striking, with four marble minarets and intricate geometric inlay in white, black and yellow stone. A long avenue leads to the tomb, and the base level houses a vaulted entrance corridor with painted ceilings that lead down to the crypt containing Akbar's cenotaph. The upper terrace holds a false cenotaph in an open court, ringed by pierced marble screens. Visitors typically need an hour to an hour and a half to see the gateway, walk the avenue, visit the crypt and climb to the top. The best photographs come from the main axis of the garden looking toward the gateway and from the terrace edge. Mornings are quietest, since tour groups usually arrive after visiting the Taj and the fort. The crowds are still modest compared with central Agra, and the garden makes a pleasant place to rest. Nearby are Mariam's Tomb and Gurudwara Guru ka Taal, so the three are easily combined on a single trip.