I was in Hyderabad last April for a friend's wedding. Being in
Hyderabad, I couldn't forgo an opportunity of visiting Golconda
Fort. My curiosity was piqued when I came to know many famous
gems including the Kohinoor diamond were kept in the vaults of
this fort. The head quarters of the Qutb Sahi dynasty, Golkonda
fort is among the biggest and most famous fortresses of Southern
India. Easily one of the strongest forts of medieval India, it
had three lines of powerful fortification walls with a deep
trench surrounding the outer wall. The first line enclosed the
town while the second, a double wall ran around the foot of the
hill on which the citadel stood. The third line further up the
wall is formed by connecting walls of masonry to natural
boulders. The outer fortified wall, varying in thickness from 5m
to 10m, has 8 gates - Fateh, Bahmani, Mecca, Patancheru,
Banjara, Jamali, Naya Qula and Moti. The outer wall is further
strengthened by 87 large bastions present at short intervals. At
various places, on the