Fatehpur Sikri

The origins of this short-lived Mughal capital lie in a visit Emperor Akbar paid to a Sufi saint in the village of Sikri. This saint predicted an heir to the Mughal throne, and when this happened a few years later, Akbar built his new capital here. A vast city was created in only 15 years, including three palaces for each of Akbar's three favorite wives (one a Christian, one a Muslim, and one a Hindu). The vast amounts of money and labor poured into creating this city and the adjoining mosque were not enough to keep it populated, though. Only about 14 years after it was completed, the city had to be abandoned due to water shortages. Since the late 16th-century it has been a ghost city. It's a fabulous place to wander and pretty easily accessible by hiring a car from Agra for the day. You can also stay in the surrounding villages.