Photograph of Fatehpur Sikri, India by Samuel Bourne, 1860s.

This photograph shows the inner courtyard of the Jami Masjid, the principle building of Fatehpur Sikri. On the right hand side is the rear façade of the Buland Darwaza.

On the left hand side is a view of the white marble tomb of Shaikh Salim Chishti. There are also several figures and a tree inside the courtyard which indicate the sheer scale of the building.

This photograph was initially part of the photographic collection held in the National Art Library. The markings on the mount are an indication of the history of the object, its movement through the museum and the way it is categorised.
This window mount is similar to others in the collection. It has a label with red edging with the title of the photograph. This type of label and mount suggests inclusion in an exhibition, possibly the Paris exhibition of 1867 or the subsequent South Kensington exhibition for which no catalogue has been found.

Historical significance: This photograph shows the inside of the Jami Masjid, the principle building of Fatehpur Sikri. It comprises an open courtyard or shan which measures 130m by 165m and is surrounded with pillared cloisters on three sides. In the photograph you can see the rear façade of the Buland Darwaza, or great gateway. The front façade can be seen in photograph no.53,259. This view of the gateway shows how the overbearing dimensions of the front façade are bought down to more human dimensions at the rear. This part of the gateway is 17.98 meters in height, the front being 40 meters. It protrudes 4.57 meters into the courtyard.

This photograph shows the inside of the Jami Masjid (mosque), the principle building in Fatehpur Sikri. The city, near Agra in north-west India, was built by the Mughal Emperor Akbar (ruled 1556-1605). According to an inscription in the building, construction of the mosque was completed in 1571 to 1572.

The open courtyard measures 130 metres by 165 metres with pillared cloisters on three sides. On the left-hand side of the photograph you can see the white marble tomb of Shaykh Salim Chishti. The figures and tree inside the courtyard indicate the sheer scale of the building.

The British photographer Samuel Bourne lived and worked in India between 1862 and 1869. During this time he toured the Himalayas and travelled through the subcontinent, photographing its landscape, architecture and historical sites. He set up a studio in Simla with Charles Shepherd and sold his prints sold to an eager public both in India and Britain.

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