Enjoy an excursion to the Golkonda fort

Golconda was the capital of the Qutb Shahi dynasty from 1512, the year the dynasty was founded, until 1591, when the dynastic capital shifted to Hyderabad. The Qutb Shahi dynasty lasted until 1687, when Golconda was captured by the forces of the Mughal emperor Aurangzeb.Golconda was at that time the world’s only known source of diamonds; both the Koh-I-Noor Diamond and the Hope Diamond were cut from gemstones found there. Golconda`s upper fort (Bala Hisar) was built on the eastern slope of the hill. Enclosure walls separate the lower from the upper parts of the citadel. In the distance, the peak of the citadel rises steeply to 425 feet above the ground level. Public buildings such as an armory and royal mosque (Taramati Masjid) occupy the lower portions of the citadel. They are overlooked from the top of the hill by private palace buildings such as Ibrahim`s Mosque. Qutub Shahi Tombs are located at around one kilometer away from the Golconda Fort. Qutub Shahi Tombs are a clump of tombs – there are more than thirty tombs in the composite besides some other open air tombs. It is the most trustworthy evidence of the architectural traditions of the Qutub Shahi. These tombs and some other buildings of the king of the Qutub Shahi characterize the evolution of a modern architectural style. The style of architecture is a mixture of the Hindu, Pathan, and Persian forms.