One of the most popular tourist’s spots in Agra is the resting place of Akbar known as Akbar’s Tomb. The tomb is situated on an area of 119 acres. It was constructed in the 17th century. In 1605, the construction of the tomb started and gets completed in 1613. Akbar chooses this structure for his grave but unable to complete it on time. After the death of the Akbar, the structure was complete by Jahangir. It is one of the best examples of the Mughals architecture. It designed beautifully with geometric patterns of red sandstones.
The tomb was once going through by the Ram jat king. For taking the revenge for his father’s death, he stole all the precious things and destroyed many others. He even pulls out the bones of the Akbar and burnt them. The tomb is repaired a lot during the time of British rule.
The tomb is situated on a higher platform. The shape of the tomb is much like a truncated pyramid. It has a five storied building. It is designed beautifully by using the architecture of Hindus, Muslims, Christian, Buddhist and Jain styles. There is a beautiful Mughals style gardens located at the entrance of the tomb. There are many monkeys in the garden. On both sides of the garden, there is the water passage which looks beautiful. The tomb has four gateways. The largest gateway is located in the south. It is made up of white marble and decorated beautifully with minarets.
The graves are situated in the basement of the tomb which is closed for tourists. The tomb has the graves of Akbar’s two daughters and Akbar. The jail work used from the Islamic architecture make it look beautiful. In the second floor of the building, the pyramidal roofs are used for the cubicles. Each portion has square room on the third storied. There is an open court of square shaped on the top floor. The top floor is made up of white marbles whereas the rest of the tomb is made up of red sandstone. The top floor also has the false grave.
The tomb remains open from sunrise to sunset. The best time to visit this tomb is in winters. It is situated in the town Sikandra near Agra. It is just 14 km away from the famous momentum Taj Mahal. The entry fee is Rs 20 for Indians and Rs 200 for foreigners. The nearest railway station is in Agra.
