Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
B4
25
Bidri Crafts
B4
26
Lepakshi
B4
B3
8
Information
B5
29
Mor Chemists
B2
30
Net World
A2
B5
8
Transport
32
Air India
B3
33
Jet Airways
B3
C5
35
Nampally Train Station
A4
A3
Golconda Fort
FORT
(Indian/foreigner ?5/100, sound-and-light show adult/child ?50/30; 9am-5pm, English-language sound-and-light
show 6.30pm Nov-Feb, 7pm Mar-Oct)
Although most of this 16th-century fortress dates from the
time of the Qutb Shah kings, its origins as a mud fort have been traced to the earlier reigns
of the Yadavas and Kakatiyas.
Golconda was the capital of the eponymous independent state for nearly 80 years; in
1590, Sultan Mohammed Quli Qutb Shah abandoned the fort and moved to the new city
of Hyderabad.
The citadel is built on a 120m-high granite hill and surrounded by crenellated ramparts
constructed from large masonry blocks. Outside the citadel stands another crenellated
rampart, with a perimeter of 11km, and yet another wall beyond this. The massive gates
were studded with iron spikes to obstruct war elephants.
Survival within the fort was also attributable to water and sound. A series of concealed
glazed earthen pipes ensured a reliable water supply, while the ingenious acoustics guar-
anteed that even the smallest sound from the entrance would echo across the fort complex.
