Arched parapets of the Golconda Fort in Hyderabad, Telangana

© Manab Sen/Alamy Stock Phot

More than just walls. Golconda Fort in Hyderabad, Telangana

Today, let us step into Golconda Fort in the bustling city of Hyderabad. This fort once housed a vault that safeguarded some of the world's most famous gems, including the legendary Koh-i-Noor and Hope diamonds. The origins of the fort date back to the 11th century when it was first established as a modest mud fort by Pratāparudra of the Kakatiya Empire. It's also believed that the Kakatiya ruler Ganapatideva, who reigned from 1199 to 1262, constructed a stone outpost on the hilltop to protect the empire's western frontier.

This outpost would later evolve into the iconic Golconda Fort. In 1518, Sultan Quli of the Qutb Shahi dynasty expanded and transformed the fort into a formidable citadel, eventually designating the surrounding city as the capital of the Golconda Sultanate. In 2014, UNESCO added the Golconda Fort complex to its tentative list of World Heritage Sites in the region under the collective title 'Monuments and Forts of the Deccan Sultanate.' Although the fort is now abandoned, its historical importance still resonates strongly.