Among the legacies of the Qutab-Shahi dynasty that ruled the kingdom of Golconda for 171 years are the Golconda fort, the Qutab Shahi Tombs in the vicinity of the Fort, and of course the city of Hyderabad with its famous Char Minar and Mecca Masjid ...

The ... fort is guarded by a Wall. The entrance gate has shutters with metal spikes which were designed to prevent the elephants of invading armies from storming the fort. Ahead of the entrance, there is the Grand Portico from which position a clapped hand could be heard at a certain point at the top of the fort. It was a method of signalling, and it shows an understanding of acoustics.

Moving through the Grand Portico, on the ground level of the fort is the armoury where ammunition was stored, and the mortuary baths where the bodies of the royal dead were washed before taking them to the nearby tombs for burial. Adjacent to the baths was the Nagina Bagh ... This was the place where the famous Golcondan general, Abdur Razzak Lari, fell wounded when the Mughals captured the fort. The offices of Akanna and Madanna, the Brahmin ministers in the service of the last king Tana Shah, are also ... nearby.

After the ground level, one has to climb the winding stone stairs to get to durbar halls and to the top of the fort. On ascending the steps, the view from different perspectives emerge. Apart from the built-up wall ... , the natural rock formations are astonishing, with some boulders looking as if they will roll down any moment. The water tanks and the pipelines can be seen, One  marvels at ... had the technology of those times to draw and pump water uphill from a far source.

Half-way to the fort top, there is the Ramdas Kota (prison) ... Ramdas was a trusted officer of Tana Shah but he embezzled the official revenue ... for renovating the Ram Temple at Bhadrachalam. He was caught and imprisoned in the Fort. During his imprisonment, Ramdas carved into the rock walls of the prison, the images of Ram, Lakshman and Hanuman. These can be still seen in the dim light inside. (The Shah) continued to respect Ramdas's personal faith, even in confinement ...

Recently ... I found that the stone-wall carvings had been crudely daubed in a garish saffron-orange paint (and) a pujari was sitting with a candle next to the carvings. These were not there two years ago ... Those who care for the country's heritage may regard the casual and careless daubing of paint on a historical site as an act of vandalism.

Ascending past the Ramdas Kota, there is the small mosque of Ibrahim Qutab Shah, the third king. The mosque is so small that there is hardly room for any congregation. And just a few steps further climb leads to the Mahakali Cave Temple. The proximity of the mosque and temple in the heart of the fort confirms ... peaceful co-existence at the time ... This is a striking example of the composite culture that ... existed ... at this period.

At the summit of the fort is the Baradari (General Assembly) which is a three storied pavilion, where durbar was held. On the top terrace ... is a stone throne on an elevated platform at the highest vantage point which gives a panoramic view. Walking around the top terrace, the entire boundaries of the fort can be viewed.

.. Many famous places that can be identified beyond  the fort. The twin cities of Hyderabad and Secundrabad can be seen. One view shows the Qutab Shahi Tombs. Even the Charminar and Mecca Masjid can be seen ... In the south, the Falaknuma Palace and the Himayat Sagar tank are visible. In the southwest, a raised terrace on a hillock is ... the famous Pavilion of Taramati and Premamati.

Looking down the Baradari, in the south-east corner of the fort are the ruins of the Rani Mahals, also called the Zenana. ... The palace roofs have gone. There are steps leading from the summit of the fort down to the Zenana palaces and visitors, if they have the time, (may) descend down this route instead of following the steps which they ascended. Once there were the beautiful palaces ... magnificently painted, and decorated ... Today the  decorations are gone. Sadly, they are replaced by graffiti, another form of vandalism ..

We can reflect on the life of those ages. Those were the times of poet-kings and religious mystics, of influential queens, musicians, dancers, garden layers and fountain builders, and refined cuisine and graceful architecture- a combination that is characteristically Indian! But it could all (come to) a violent end (at the hands of) predators in the neighbourhood ... It is said that some ladies of the Zenana committed suicide by jumping into wells and lakes when the fort was finally breached and captured by the Mughals

... There are 30 tombs in the Tomb complex, and the most famous are those of the first seven kings and Hayat Bakshi Begum. Within the same grounds are also the Mosque of Hayat Bakshi Begum and the tombs of the royal courtesans Premamati and Taramati. Although no single tomb ... can match the Mughal Tombs, the Qutab Shahi Tomb complex has a unique charm because of its proximity to the fort and because almost the entire dynasty and notable figures of the period are interred in one place ...

The Royal Tombs inspired Sarojini Naidu, a leading figure of the Indian National Congress, to write a poetic tribute to the Qutab Shahi kings and their queens . (Source: The Nation and the World, 16 January, 1999)