That, coupled with his pride and curiosity of his Timurid ancestry and the desire to embrace India as a native country, were the beginnings of his religious and design philosophies.
The lavish use of red sandstone sought to minimize the stylistic clashes consequent to the mixing of these disparate elements.
The magnificent entrance, use of exquisite patterns, excellent jaali work (intricately perforated decorative stone screens), fine Persian style calligraphy, the charbagh garden layout (four-quartered garden layout, with the main building at the center), etc., are representative of Islamic influence.
On the other hand, the absence of a dome, use of chhatris (small domed canopies, supported by pillars), tiers of airy pavilions, etc., reflect a local influence, which are also found in the buildings built by Akbar in Agra Fort and Fatehpur Sikri.
As with all the other administrative and political aspects of Akbar's imperial career, it was Sher Shah Suri's architecture that he drew inspiration from.