Golconda Fort in Hyderabad
Posted on January 31, 2009 - Filed Under History, Travel
One of the star attractions in Hyderabad is the Golconda or Golkonda Fort. The name translates to “Shepherd’s Hill.” Every year, visitors to Hyderabad tour the Fort and enjoy the light and sound show held in the evenings. There are five star hotels in Hyderabad located near the fort. Tourists can also enjoy fine restaurants, shopping, and other historic and cultural sites throughout the city.
The Golconda fortress is actually four separate forts surrounded by an outer wall that is ten kilometers long. This outer wall includes eight gateway, four drawbridges, and 87 bastions. Some of them still have mounted canons. Golconda houses royal apartments and halls, a mosque, temples, an armory, stables, and a parade ground. One of the strongest forts in the world, it is arguably the greatest and most famous one in India.
Built by the fourth Qutb King, the Golconda Fort served as the first capital for that Dynasty. It was a defense against invasion from the north by the Mughals. One of the unique features of the fort is its amazing acoustics. A single hand clap at the main gates can be heard across the fort at the top of the citadel which sat on a hill almost a kilometer away. The capital remained at the Fort until 1590 when it was moved to Hyderabad proper.
The Victory Gate or Fateh Darwaza commemorates the victory of Aurangzeb. It is studded with giantic iron spikes. At the time it was built, elephants were often used as battering rams to breech gates. The spikes prevented this from happening. The other gates as well as many of the structures within the fort represent a blending of Hindu architecture with Islamic styles.
Many believe that there is a secret tunnel running under the Fort that was to serve as an escape route for royalty in times of attack. The exact location of the tunnel has never been verified.
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- New York City
- The Meanings of Mumbai
- Samuel Fraunces Tavern in New York
- Kolkata (Calcutta)
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