Golconda Fort in Hyderabad is a majestic monument, which lies on the western outskirts of the city. It speaks of a great cultural heritage of 400 years and is considered as a place that is worth visiting. Golconda was famous for its diamond mines in olden days. The world-renowned 'Kohinoor' diamond is believed to have come from here. The Golconda fort is built on a granite hill 120m high. The fort has 8 gates or Darwazas as they are called in local language. The main gate is called Fateh Darwaza. The hills around the fort lend a very mysterious charm and colossal grandeur to the gigantic fort. Qutub Shahi kings who reigned during the 16th century built the Golconda fort. There is an interesting story behind the Golconda Fort. The place was originally called as 'Golla Konda' in Telegu, which is the official state language of Hyderabad city. Roughly around 1143 in the rocky hill called 'Mangalavaram', a shepherd boy found an idol, which was given to the then king, Kakatiya who built a mud fort. From 1507, within a span of 62 years the Qutub Shahi rulers transformed the humble mud fort into a marvelous granite wonder. The stunning Golconda Fort lost its entire splendor and luster as the Mughals invaded and plundered this breathtaking wonder into a heap of ruins.

The most important builder of Golkonda was a Kakatiya King. Ibrahim was following in the spirit of his ancestors, the Qutub Shahi kings, a great family of builders who had ruled the kingdom of Golkonda from 1512. Their first capital, the fortress citadel of Golkonda, was rebuilt for defense from invading Mughals from the north. They laid out Golkonda's splendid monuments, now in ruins, and designed a perfect acoustical system by which a hand clap sounded at the fort's main gates, the grand portico, was heard at the top of the citadel, situated on a 300-foot (91 m)-high granite hill. This is one of the fascinating features of the fort. They ruled over the Telangana region and some parts of present day Karnataka and Maharashtra. The latest feature that adds more excitement to the Golconda fort is the Light and Sound show. The amazing light and sound impacts with the narration of the hair raising story of the golconda Fort is sure to amuse all tourists visiting the Hyderabad city. The Huge gates of the fort are decorated with large pointed iron spikes. These spikes prevented Elephants from damaging the fort. The fort of Golkonda is encircled by a 11-km-long outer wall. This was built in order to fortify the fort.