Golconda is a fortified citadel and ruined city located on the western outskirts of

Hyderabad Hyderabad is the capital and largest city of the Indian state of Telangana. It occupies on the Deccan Plateau along the banks of the Musi River (India), Musi River, in the northern part of Southern India. With an average altitude of , much ...

Telangana Telangana is a States and union territories of India, state in India situated in the Southern India, south-central part of the Indian subcontinent on the high Deccan Plateau. It is the List of states and union territories of India by area, ele ...

, India. The fort was originally built by

Kakatiya The Kakatiya dynasty (IAST: Kākatīya) was a Telugu dynasty that ruled most of eastern Deccan region in present-day India between 12th and 14th centuries. Their territory comprised much of the present day Telangana and Andhra Pradesh, and p ...

ruler Pratāparudra in the 11th century out of mud walls. It was ceded to the Bahmani Kings from

Musunuri Nayakas The Musunuri Nayakas were a prominent Telugu Hindu warrior dynasty that rose to power in the 14th century in the Deccan region following the fall of the Kakatiya Empire to the Delhi Sultanate in 1323 CE. They originated from the region of ...

during the reign of the Bahmani Sultan

Mohammed Shah I Mohammed Shah I (reigned 1358–1375) was the second ruler of the Bahmani Sultanate, a late medieval kingdom of India. He succeeded his father Ala-ud-Din Bahman Shah. He initiated the Bahmani–Vijayanagar War with two neighboring kingdom ...

, during the first Bahmani-Vijayanagar War. Following the death of Sultan Mahmood Shah, the Sultanate disintegrated and Sultan Quli, who had been appointed as the Governor of Hyderabad by the Bahmani Kings, fortified the city and made it the capital of the

Golconda Sultanate The Sultanate of Golconda (; ) was an early modern kingdom in southern India, ruled by the Persianate, Shia Islamic Qutb Shahi dynasty of Turkoman origin. After the decline of the Bahmani Sultanate, the Sultanate of Golconda was established i ...

. Because of the vicinity of diamond mines, especially

Kollur Mine The Kollur Mine was a series of gravel-clay pits on the south bank of the Krishna River in the state of Andhra Pradesh, India. It has produced many large diamonds, known as Golconda diamonds, several of which are or have been a part of crown je ...

, Golconda flourished as a trade centre of large diamonds known as Golconda Diamonds. Golconda fort is currently abandoned and in ruins. The complex was put by

UNESCO The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO ) is a List of specialized agencies of the United Nations, specialized agency of the United Nations (UN) with the aim of promoting world peace and International secur ...

on its "tentative list" to become a

World Heritage Site World Heritage Sites are landmarks and areas with legal protection under an treaty, international treaty administered by UNESCO for having cultural, historical, or scientific significance. The sites are judged to contain "cultural and natural ...

in 2014, with other forts in the region, under the name

Monuments and Forts of the Deccan Sultanate The Deccan sultanates were five Medieval India#Early modern period, early modern kingdoms, namely Sultanate of Bijapur, Bijapur, Sultanate of Golconda, Golkonda, Ahmadnagar Sultanate, Ahmadnagar, Bidar Sultanate, Bidar, and Berar Sultanate, B ...

(despite there being a number of different sultanates).UNESCO "tentative list"
/ref>

History

The origins of the Golconda fort can be traced back to the 11th century. It was originally a small mud fort built by Pratāparudra of the

Kakatiya Empire The Kakatiya dynasty (IAST: Kākatīya) was a Telugu dynasty that ruled most of eastern Deccan region in present-day India between 12th and 14th centuries. Their territory comprised much of the present day Telangana and Andhra Pradesh, and p ...

. The name ''Golconda'' is thought to originate from the

Telugu Telugu may refer to: * Telugu language, a major Dravidian language of South India ** Telugu literature, is the body of works written in the Telugu language. * Telugu people, an ethno-linguistic group of India * Telugu script, used to write the Tel ...

for "Shepherd's hill". It is also thought that Kakatiya ruler Ganapatideva 1199–1262 built a stone hilltop outpost — later known as Golconda fort — to defend their western region. The fort was later developed into a fortified citadel in 1518 by Sultan Quli of the Qutb Shahi Empire and the city was declared the capital of the

. The Bahmani kings took possession of the fort after it was made over to them by means of a ''sanad'' by the Rajah of

Warangal Warangal () is a city in the Indian state of Telangana and the district headquarters of Warangal district. It is the second largest city in Telangana with a population of 811,844 per 2011 Census of India, and spreading over an . Warangal serv ...

. Under the

Bahmani Sultanate The Bahmani Kingdom or the Bahmani Sultanate was a late medieval Persianate kingdom that ruled the Deccan plateau in India. The first independent Muslim sultanate of the Deccan, the Bahmani Kingdom came to power in 1347 during the rebellio ...

, Golconda slowly rose to prominence.

Sultan Quli Qutb-ul-Mulk Sultan Quli Qutb-ul-Mulk, more often though less correctly referred to in English as Quli Qutb Shah (1485 – 2 September 1543), was the founder of the Qutb Shahi dynasty, which ruled the Sultanate of Golconda in southern India from 1518 ...

(r. 1487–1543), sent by the Bahmanids as a governor at Golconda, established the city as the seat of his governance around 1501. Bahmani rule gradually weakened during this period, and Sultan Quli (Quli Qutub Shah period) formally became independent in 1518, establishing the

Qutb Shahi dynasty The Sultanate of Golconda (; ) was an early modern kingdom in southern India, ruled by the Persianate, Shia Islamic Qutb Shahi dynasty of Turkoman origin. After the decline of the Bahmani Sultanate, the Sultanate of Golconda was established ...

based in Golconda. Over a period of 62 years, the mud fort was expanded by the first three Qutb Shahi sultans into the present structure: a massive

fortification A fortification (also called a fort, fortress, fastness, or stronghold) is a military construction designed for the defense of territories in warfare, and is used to establish rule in a region during peacetime. The term is derived from Lati ...

of granite extending around in

circumference In geometry, the circumference () is the perimeter of a circle or ellipse. The circumference is the arc length of the circle, as if it were opened up and straightened out to a line segment. More generally, the perimeter is the curve length arou ...

. It remained the capital of the Qutb Shahi dynasty until 1590 when the capital was shifted to

. The Qutb Shahis expanded the fort, whose outer wall enclosed the city. During the early seventeenth century a strong cotton-weaving industry existed in Golconda. Large quantities of cotton were produced for domestic and exports consumption. High quality plain or patterned cloth made of muslin and calico was produced. Plain cloth was available as white or brown colour, in bleached or dyed variety. Exports of this cloth was to Persia and European countries. Patterned cloth was made of prints which were made indigenously with indigo for blue, chay-root for red coloured prints and vegetable yellow. Patterned cloth exports were mainly to Java, Sumatra and other eastern countries. The fort finally fell into ruin in 1687 after an eight-month-long siege led to its fall at the hands of the

Mughal Mughal or Moghul may refer to: Related to the Mughal Empire * Mughal Empire of South Asia between the 16th and 19th centuries * Mughal dynasty * Mughal emperors * Mughal people, a social group of Central and South Asia * Mughal architecture * Mug ...

emperor

Aurangzeb Alamgir I (Muhi al-Din Muhammad; 3 November 1618 – 3 March 1707), commonly known by the title Aurangzeb, also called Aurangzeb the Conqueror, was the sixth Mughal emperors, Mughal emperor, reigning from 1658 until his death in 1707, becomi ...

, who ended the Qutb Shahi reign and took the last Golconda king, Abul Hassan Tana Shah, captive.

Diamonds

The Golconda fort used to have a vault where the famous

Koh-i-Noor The ; ), also spelled Koh-e-Noor, Kohinoor and Koh-i-Nur, is one of the largest cut diamonds in the world, weighing . It is currently set in the Crown of Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother. The diamond originated in the Kollur mine in present ...

and Hope diamonds were once stored along with other diamonds. Golconda is renowned for the diamonds found on the south-east at

near

Kollur, Guntur district Kollur is a village in Bapatla district in the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh. It is the headquarters of Kollur mandal in Repalle revenue division. Geography Kollur is situated near the banks of the Krishna River, at . It is spread over an ...

, Paritala and Atkur in

Krishna district Krishna district is a district in the Coastal Andhra region in Indian state of Andhra Pradesh, with Machilipatnam as its administrative headquarters. It is surrounded on the East by Bay of Bengal, West by Guntur district, Guntur, Bapatla distric ...

and cut in the city during the Kakatiya reign. At that

time Time is the continuous progression of existence that occurs in an apparently irreversible process, irreversible succession from the past, through the present, and into the future. It is a component quantity of various measurements used to sequ ...

, India had the only known diamond mines in the world. Golconda was the market city of the diamond trade, and gems sold there came from a number of mines. The fortress-city within the walls was famous for diamond trade. Its name has taken a generic meaning and has come to be associated with great wealth. Some gemologists use this classification to denote the extremely rare Type IIa diamond, a crystal that essentially lacks nitrogen impurities and is therefore colorless; Many Type IIa diamonds, as identified by the Gemological Institute of America (GIA), have come from the mines in and around the Golconda region. Many famed diamonds are believed to have been excavated from the mines of Golconda, such as: *

Daria-i-Noor The or 'Ocean of Light'), also spelled Darya-ye Noor and Daria-i-Nur, is one of the List of diamonds, largest cut diamonds in the world, weighing an estimated 182 carats (36 g). Its colour, pale pink, is one of the rarest to be found in diamond ...

Noor-ul-Ain The Noor-ul-Ain () is one of the largest pink diamonds in the world, and the centre piece of the tiara of the same name. History The diamond is believed to have been recovered from the mines of Golconda, Hyderabad in India. It was first in poss ...

Hope Diamond The Hope Diamond is a blue-violet diamond that has been famed for its great size since the 17th century. It was extracted in the 17th century from the Kollur Mine in Guntur, India,. The Hope Diamond is a blue diamond. Its exceptional size h ...

* Princie Diamond * Regent Diamond * Wittelsbach-Graff Diamond By the 1880s, "Golconda" was being used generically by English speakers to refer to any particularly rich mine, and later to any source of great wealth. During

the Renaissance The Renaissance ( , ) is a Periodization, period of history and a European cultural movement covering the 15th and 16th centuries. It marked the transition from the Middle Ages to modernity and was characterized by an effort to revive and sur ...

and the early modern eras, the name "Golconda" acquired a legendary aura and became synonymous for vast wealth. The mines brought riches to the Qutb Shahis of

Hyderabad State Hyderabad State () was a princely state in the Deccan region of south-central India with its capital at the city of Hyderabad. It is now divided into the present-day state of Telangana, the Kalyana-Karnataka region of Karnataka, and the ...

, who ruled Golconda up to 1687, then to the

Nizam of Hyderabad Nizam of Hyderabad was the title of the ruler of Hyderabad State ( part of the Indian state of Telangana, and the Kalyana-Karnataka region of Karnataka). ''Nizam'' is a shortened form of (; ), and was the title bestowed upon Asaf Jah I wh ...

, who ruled after the independence from the

Mughal Empire The Mughal Empire was an Early modern period, early modern empire in South Asia. At its peak, the empire stretched from the outer fringes of the Indus River Basin in the west, northern Afghanistan in the northwest, and Kashmir in the north, to ...

in 1724 until 1948, when the

Indian integration of Hyderabad The Annexation of Hyderabad (code-named Operation Polo) was a military operation launched in September 1948 that resulted in the annexation of the princely state of Hyderabad State, Hyderabad by India, which was dubbed a "police action". At ...

occurred. The

siege of Golconda The siege of Golconda (1687 CE) was an eight-month military siege of the Golconda Fort (in present-day Telangana, India). This siege was personally directed by the Mughal emperor Aurangzeb against the Golconda Sultanate, ruled by king Abul Ha ...

occurred in January 1687, when Mughal Emperor Aurangzeb led his forces to besiege the Qutb Shahi dynasty at Golconda fort (also known as the Diamond Capitol of its time) and was home to the Kollur Mine. The ruler of Golconda was the well entrenched

Abul Hasan Qutb Shah Abul Hasan Qutb Shah, also known as Abul Hasan Tana Shah was the eighth and last ruler of the Qutb Shahi dynasty, sovereign of the Kingdom of Golconda in South India. He ruled from 1672 to 1686. The last Sultan of this Shia Islamic dynasty, Tan ...

Architecture

Golconda fort is listed as an archaeological treasure on the official "List of Monuments" prepared by the

Archaeological Survey of India The Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) is an Indian government agency that is responsible for archaeological research and the conservation and preservation of cultural historical monuments in the country. It was founded in 1861 by Alexander ...

under The Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Sites and Remains Act. Golconda consists of four distinct

fort A fortification (also called a fort, fortress, fastness, or stronghold) is a military construction designed for the defense of territories in warfare, and is used to establish rule in a region during peacetime. The term is derived from La ...

s with a long outer wall with 87 semicircular bastions (some still mounted with

cannon A cannon is a large-caliber gun classified as a type of artillery, which usually launches a projectile using explosive chemical propellant. Gunpowder ("black powder") was the primary propellant before the invention of smokeless powder during th ...

s), eight gateways, and four

drawbridge A drawbridge or draw-bridge is a type of moveable bridge typically at the entrance to a castle or tower surrounded by a moat. In some forms of English, including American English, the word ''drawbridge'' commonly refers to all types of moveable b ...

s, with a number of royal apartments and halls, temples, mosques, magazines, stables, etc. inside. The lowest of these is the outermost

enclosure Enclosure or inclosure is a term, used in English landownership, that refers to the appropriation of "waste" or "common land", enclosing it, and by doing so depriving commoners of their traditional rights of access and usage. Agreements to enc ...

entered by the "Fateh Darwaza" (Victory gate, so called after

’s triumphant army marched in through this gate) studded with giant iron spikes (to prevent elephants from battering them down) near the south-eastern corner. An acoustic effect can be experienced at Fateh Darwazaan, a hand clap at a certain point below the

dome A dome () is an architectural element similar to the hollow upper half of a sphere. There is significant overlap with the term cupola, which may also refer to a dome or a structure on top of a dome. The precise definition of a dome has been a m ...

at the entrance reverberates and can be heard clearly at the "Bala Hisar"

pavilion In architecture, ''pavilion'' has several meanings; * It may be a subsidiary building that is either positioned separately or as an attachment to a main building. Often it is associated with pleasure. In palaces and traditional mansions of Asia ...

, the highest point almost a kilometer away. This worked as a warning in case of an attack. The "Bala Hisar" gate is the main entrance to the fort located on the eastern side. It has a pointed arch bordered by rows of scroll work. The spandrels have yalis and decorated roundels. The area above the door has peacocks with ornate tails flanking an ornamental arched niche. The granite block lintel below has sculpted yalis flanking a disc. The design of peacocks and lions is typical of

Hindu architecture Hindu architecture is the traditional system of Indian architecture for structures such as temples, monasteries, statues, homes, market places, gardens and town planning as described in Hindu texts. The architectural guidelines survive in Sans ...

and underlies this fort's Hindu origins. The

Jagadamba Jagadamba () is an epithet used to address a Devi, Hindu goddess, primarily applied to Durga, Lakshmi and Parvati in Hindu Literature, literature. Literature Ramcharitmanas In Ramcharitmanas, a version of the Ramayana by Tulsidas, after Angad ...

temple A temple (from the Latin ) is a place of worship, a building used for spiritual rituals and activities such as prayer and sacrifice. By convention, the specially built places of worship of some religions are commonly called "temples" in Engli ...

, located next to the

mosque A mosque ( ), also called a masjid ( ), is a place of worship for Muslims. The term usually refers to a covered building, but can be any place where Salah, Islamic prayers are performed; such as an outdoor courtyard. Originally, mosques were si ...

of Ibrahim and the king's palace, is visited by hundreds of thousands of Hindu devotees during

Bonalu Bonalu (Telugu: బోనాలు) is a traditional Hindu festival centred on the Goddess Mahakali from Telangana. This festival is celebrated annually in the twin cities of Hyderabad and Secunderabad, as well as in other parts of the state. It ...

festival every year. Jagadamba temple is about 900 to 1,000 years old, dating back to early Kakatiya period. A

Mahankali Kali (; , ), also called Kalika, is a major goddess in Hinduism, primarily associated with time, death and destruction. Kali is also connected with transcendental knowledge and is the first of the ten Mahavidyas, a group of goddesses who pr ...

is located in the vicinity, within Golconda fort. The fort also contains the tombs of the Qutub Shahi kings. These tombs display features of

Indo-Islamic architecture Indo-Islamic architecture is the architecture of the Indian subcontinent produced by and for Islamic patrons and purposes. Despite an initial Arab presence in Sindh, the development of Indo-Islamic architecture began in earnest with the establi ...

and are located about north of the outer wall of Golconda. They are encircled by gardens and numerous carved stones. The two individual pavilions on the outer side of Golconda are built on a point which is quite rocky. The "Kala Mandir" is also located in the fort. It can be seen from the king's durbar (king's court) which was on top of the Golconda fort. The other buildings found inside the fort are: Habshi Kamans (Abyssian arches), Ashlah Khana, Taramati mosque, Ramadas Bandikhana, Camel stable, private chambers (kilwat), Mortuary bath, Nagina bagh, Ramasasa's kotha, Durbar hall, Ambar khana etc. Golconda Fort - Rani Mahal 04.jpg, Rani Mahal File:Golconda 091.JPG, Fort overlooking the city of

File:Golkonda 05.jpg,

Mosque A mosque ( ), also called a masjid ( ), is a place of worship for Muslims. The term usually refers to a covered building, but can be any place where Salah, Islamic prayers are performed; such as an outdoor courtyard. Originally, mosques were si ...

of Ibrahim at Golconda, Hyderabad File:Golconda Fort 002 - Baradari.jpg, Baradari located at the top of the citadel File:Jagdamba Temple, Golkonda Fort.jpg,

at the top of the Golconda fortifications File:Bala Hissar Darwaza in Golconda Fort.jpg, Bala Hissar Darwaza File:Golcondamahankaali.JPG,

at Golconda, Hyderabad File:Golconda Fort 017.jpg, View from the Baradari File:Architect in golconda fort.jpg, Design inside the Golconda fort File:Aerial view of Golconda fort.jpg, Aerial view of Golconda fort File:Canon at Golconda.jpg, Cannon of the Golconda fort File:Streets in golconda.jpg, Pathway in Golconda fort File:The Baradari.jpg, Baradari fort

Golconda ruling dynasties

Kakatiya dynasty The Kakatiya dynasty (International Alphabet of Sanskrit Transliteration, IAST: Kākatīya) was a Andhras, Telugu dynasty that ruled most of eastern Deccan Plateau, Deccan region in present-day India between 12th and 14th centuries. Their ter ...

* Bahmani Sultans *

Asaf Jahi dynasty The Asaf Jahi is a Muslim dynasty that ruled the Hyderabad State. The family came to India in the late 17th century and became employees of the Mughal Empire. They were great patrons of Indo-Persian culture, language, and literature, and the ...

Naya Qila (New Fort)

Naya Qila is an extension of Golconda fort which was turned into the

Hyderabad Golf Club The Hyderabad Golf club is an 18-hole golf course located in a historic setting in and around Golconda, Golconda Fort. A project promoted by the Telangana State Tourism Development Corporation and the Hyderabad Golf Association. Hyderabad's firs ...

despite resistance from farmers who owned the land and various NGOs within the city. The ramparts of the new fort start after the residential area with many towers and the ''Hatiyan ka Jhad'' ("Elephant-sized tree")—an ancient

baobab ''Adansonia'' is a genus of medium-to-large deciduous trees known as baobabs ( or ). The eight species of ''Adansonia'' are native to Africa, Australia, and Madagascar but have also been introduced to other regions of the world, including Barb ...

tree with an enormous girth. It also includes a war mosque. These sites are under restrictive access to the public because of the Golf Course.

Qutub Shahi tombs

The tombs of the Qutub Shahi sultans lie about one kilometre north of Golconda's outer wall. These structures are made of beautifully carved stonework, and surrounded by landscaped gardens. They are open to the public and receive many visitors. It is one of the famous sight-seeing places in Hyderabad.

Golconda Artillery Centre, Indian Army

Golconda Artillery Centre, Hyderabad, was raised on 15 August 1962 as the Second Recruit Training Centre for the

Regiment of Artillery Regiment of Artillery may refer to: * Regiment of Artillery (Pakistan) * Regiment of Artillery (India) The Regiment of Artillery is a combat support arm of the Indian Army, which provides massive firepower during all ground operations of t ...

. Golconda Artillery Centre is located in and around the Golconda fort. The Golconda centre has three training regiments and presently trains 2900 recruits at a time.

UNESCO World Heritage

The Golconda fort and other Qutb Shahi dynasty Monuments of Hyderabad (the

Charminar The Charminar () is a monument located in Hyderabad, Telangana, India. Constructed in 1591, the landmark is a symbol of Hyderabad and officially incorporated in the emblem of Telangana. The Charminar's long history includes the existence of a m ...

, and the Qutb Shahi Tombs) were submitted by the Permanent Delegation of India to

in 2010 for consideration as

World Heritage Sites World Heritage Sites are landmarks and areas with legal protection under an international treaty administered by UNESCO for having cultural, historical, or scientific significance. The sites are judged to contain "cultural and natural heritag ...

. They are currently included on India's " tentative list".

Influences

In popular culture

* ''Aline, reine de Golconde'' (1760), story by

Stanislas de Boufflers Stanislas Jean, chevalier de Boufflers (31 May 1738, Nancy, France, Nancy – 18 January 1815) was a French Politician, statesman and writer. Biography He was born near Nancy, Meurthe-et-Moselle, the son of Louis François, marquis de Boufflers. ...

* '' Aline, reine de Golconde'' (1766), opera by

Pierre-Alexandre Monsigny Pierre-Alexandre Monsigny (; – ) was a French composer and a member of the French Académie des Beaux-Arts (1813). He is considered alongside André Grétry and François-André Danican Philidor to have been the founder of a new musical gen ...

* ''Aline, reine de Golconde'' (1803), opera by

Henri-Montan Berton Henri-Montan Berton (17 September 1767 – 22 April 1844) was a French composer, teacher, and writer, mostly known as a composer of operas for the Opéra-Comique. Career Henri-Montan Berton was born the son of Pierre Montan Berton.Charlton 2 ...

* ''Aline, reine de Golconde'' (1804), opera by

François-Adrien Boieldieu François-Adrien Boieldieu (, also ) (16 December 1775 – 8 October 1834) was a French composer, mainly of operas, often called "the French Mozart".. Although his reputation is largely based upon his operas, Boieldieu composed other works and amo ...

* '' Alina, regina di Golconda'' (1828), opera by

Gaetano Donizetti Domenico Gaetano Maria Donizetti (29 November 1797 – 8 April 1848) was an Italian Romantic music, Romantic composer, best known for his almost 70 operas. Along with Gioachino Rossini and Vincenzo Bellini, he was a leading composer of the ''be ...

* The poem by

Letitia Elizabeth Landon Letitia Elizabeth Landon (14 August 1802 – 15 October 1838) was an English poet and novelist, better known by her initials L.E.L. Landon's writings are emblematic of the transition from Romanticism to Victorian literature. Her first major b ...

was published in Fisher's Drawing Room Scrap Book, 1838. * '' Drottningen av Golconda'' (''The Queen of Golconda'', 1863), Swedish-language opera by Franz Berwald *

Russell Conwell Russell Herman Conwell (February 15, 1843 – December 6, 1925) was an American Baptist minister, orator, philanthropist, author, lawyer, and writer. He is best remembered as the founder and first president of Temple University in Philadelphi ...

's book ''Acres of Diamonds'' tells a story of the discovery of the Golconda mines. *

René Magritte René François Ghislain Magritte (; 21 November 1898 – 15 August 1967) was a Belgium, Belgian surrealist artist known for his depictions of familiar objects in unfamiliar, unexpected contexts, which often provoked questions about the nature ...

's painting

Golconda Golconda is a fortified citadel and ruined city located on the western outskirts of Hyderabad, Telangana, India. The fort was originally built by Kakatiya ruler Pratāparudra in the 11th century out of mud walls. It was ceded to the Bahmani ...

was named after the city. *

John Keats John Keats (31 October 1795 – 23 February 1821) was an English poet of the second generation of Romantic poets, along with Lord Byron and Percy Bysshe Shelley. His poems had been in publication for less than four years when he died of tub ...

' early poem "On receiving a curious Shell" opens with the lines: "Hast thou from the caves of Golconda, a gem / pure as the ice-drop that froze on the mountain?" * Golconda is referenced in the classical Russian ballet, ''

La Bayadère ''La Bayadère'' ("the temple dancer") ( ru. «Баядерка», ''Bayaderka'') is an 1877 ballet, originally staged in four acts and seven tableaux by the French choreographer Marius Petipa to music by Ludwig Minkus and libretto by . The ba ...

'' (1877). *

Anthony Doerr Anthony Doerr is an American author of novels and short stories. He gained widespread recognition for his 2014 novel '' All the Light We Cannot See'', which won the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction. Early life and education Doerr grew up in Cleveland ...

's Pulitzer Prize–winning novel '' All the Light We Cannot See'' references the Golconda mines as the discovery place of the "Sea of Flames" diamond * In

Patrick O'Brian Patrick O'Brian (12 December 1914 – 2 January 2000), born Richard Patrick Russ, was an English novelist and translator, best known for his Aubrey–Maturin series. These sea novels are set in the Royal Navy during the Napoleonic Wars and ...

's novel ''

The Surgeon's Mate ''The Surgeon's Mate'' is the seventh historical novel in the Aubrey–Maturin series written by Patrick O'Brian, first published in 1980. The story is set during the War of 1812 and the Napoleonic Wars. Buoyed by victory over an American ship ...

'', a character describes a particularly valuable diamond as being worth "half Golconda". * The term 'Golconda' is used in White Wolf's Vampire: the Masquerade table-top role-playing game to refer to a mystical state of enlightenment. Pursuit of Golconda is usually the ultimate aim of a campaign, although what this might entail is largely left to the storyteller's discretion.

Places named after Golconda

* A

city A city is a human settlement of a substantial size. The term "city" has different meanings around the world and in some places the settlement can be very small. Even where the term is limited to larger settlements, there is no universally agree ...

Illinois Illinois ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern United States. It borders on Lake Michigan to its northeast, the Mississippi River to its west, and the Wabash River, Wabash and Ohio River, Ohio rivers to its ...

, United States is named after Golconda. * A

Nevada Nevada ( ; ) is a landlocked state in the Western United States. It borders Oregon to the northwest, Idaho to the northeast, California to the west, Arizona to the southeast, and Utah to the east. Nevada is the seventh-most extensive, th ...

, United States is named after Golconda. * A village located in the southern part of

Trinidad Trinidad is the larger, more populous island of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago, the country. The island lies off the northeastern coast of Venezuela and sits on the continental shelf of South America. It is the southernmost island in ...

had given the name in the 19th century to a rich tract of land which was once a sugar-cane estate. Currently, mostly descendants of East Indian indentured servants occupy the village of Golconda.

Gallery

Golkonda Fort Large View.jpg, Golconda Fort—Large View Golconda Fort no 1.jpg, Golconda Fort seen from a road Golconda 102.JPG, Stone Arch Ruins File:Golkonda during light show at night.jpg, Golkonda during light show at night Golconda 057.JPG, Fort overlooking the city Golconda 033.JPG, Staircase leading to the top of the Fort Golconda Fort 012 - Ambar Khana.jpg, Ambar Khana Golconda Fort - Rani Mahal 03.jpg, Rani Mahal Golconda Fort - Taramati Mosque 02.jpg, Taramati Mosque Golkonda Fort Hyderabad, India.jpg, Golconda fort inside view Balahissar entrance top.JPG, Architecture inside Golconda fort Golconda fort from inside.jpg, Golconda fort from inside Golconda, fortress wall in foreground and fort at a distance.JPG, View of the Golconda fort Golkunda_fort_(from_backside).jpg, Golconda fort from outside

Citations

External links

* (archived 18 May 2015) * {{Authority control Tourist attractions in Hyderabad, India Tourist attractions in Telangana History of Telangana Forts in Telangana 11th-century establishments in India Buildings and structures in Hyderabad, India Hyderabad State Cultural heritage of India Qutb Shahi architecture Former populated places in India Archaeological sites in Telangana Former capital cities in India Populated places established in the 10th century Buildings on the Indian Archaeological Register World Heritage Tentative List for India Water Heritage Sites in India Medieval Indian cities Monuments of National Importance in Telangana hi:गोलकोण्डा sa:गोल्कोण्डदुर्गम्