Golkonda Golkonda , also known as Golconda or Golla konda ( " shepherd ' s hill " ) , a ruined city of Southern India and capital of ancient Golconda Sultanate ( c . 1518 – 1687 ) , is situated 11 km west of Hyderabad . It is also a mandal of Hyderabad District . The region is universally famous for the mines that have produced the world ' s most famous and coveted gems , including The Hope Diamond , Idol ' s Eye , The Koh - i - Noor and Darya - i - Noor . The most important builder of Golkonda was Ibrahim Quli Qutub Shah Wali , the fourth Qutub king of the Qutub Shahi Dynasty . 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 - high granite hill . This is one of the fascinating features of the fort . They ruled over most of present day Andhra Pradesh before the British Raj . After transferring Northern Circars to British , they ruled the Telangana region and some parts of present day Karnataka and Maharashtra . Administrative divisions . There are nine villages in Golkonda Mandal : History . Actually the Golkonda Plan was made after seeing the Kondapalli Quilla near Vijayawada , Krishna Dt . The 13th - century Golkonda Fort was built by the Kakatiyas . It was built in 945 CE - 970 CE . The dynasty ' s name comes either from its association with a town known as Kakatipura ( since the kings bore the title “ Kakatipuravallabha ” ) or from their worship of a goddess called Kakati . A temple dedicated to goddess Kakatamma exists in Warangal so Kakatipura could be another name for Warangal itself . Kakatiyas ' ancestors belonged to the Durjaya family . The city and fortress are built on a granite hill that is 120 meters ( 400 ft ) high and is surrounded by massive crenelated ramparts . The beginnings of the fort date to 1143 , when the Hindu Kakatiya dynasty ruled the area . The Kakatiya dynasty were followed by the state of Warangal , which was later conquered by the Islamic Bahmani Sultanat . The fort became the capital of a major province in the Sultanate and after its collapse the capital of the Qutb Shahi kings . The fort finally fell into ruins after a siege and its fall to Mughal emperor Aurangazeb . After the collapse of the Bahmani Sultanat , Golkonda rose to prominence as the seat of the Qutb Shahi dynasty around 1507 . Over a period of 62 years the mud fort was expanded by the first three Qutb Shahi kings into a massive fort of granite , extending around 5 km in circumference . It remained the capital of the Qutb Shahi dynasty until 1590 when the capital was shifted to Hyderabad . The Qutb Shahis expanded the fort , whose 7 km outer wall enclosed the city . The state became a focal point for Shia Islam in India , for instance , in the 17th century , Bahraini clerics , Sheikh Ja ` far bin Kamal al - Din and Sheikh Salih Al - Karzakani both emigrated to Golkonda . The Qutb Shahi sultanate lasted until its conquest by Mughal emperor Aurangzeb in 1687 . The fortress held out against Aurangzeb for nine months , falling to the Mughals through treachery . Diamonds . The Golkonda Fort used to have a vault where once the famous Kohinoor and Hope diamonds were stored along with other diamonds . Golkonda was once renowned for the diamonds found on the south - east at Kollur Mine near Kollur ( modern day Guntur district ) , Paritala ( modern day Krishna district ) and cut in the city during the Kakatiya reign . At that time , India had the only known diamond mines in the world . Golkonda ' s mines yielded few diamonds . Actually , Golkonda 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 . However , Europeans believed that diamonds were found only in the fabled Golkonda mines . Magnificent diamonds were taken from the mines in the region surrounding Golkonda , including Darya - e Nur , meaning " sea of light " , at , the largest and finest diamond of the crown jewels of Iran . Its name has taken a generic meaning and has come to be associated with great wealth . Gemologists use this classification to denote a diamond with a complete ( or almost - complete ) lack of nitrogen ; " Golkonda " material is also referred to as " 2A " . Many famed diamonds are believed to have been excavated from the mines of Golkonda , such as : By the 1880s , Golkonda 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 and the early modern era s , the name " Golkonda " acquired a legendary aura and became synonymous for vast wealth . The mines brought riches to the ruling Qutb Shahis of Hyderabad State , who ruled Golkonda up to 1687 , then to ruling Asaf Jah of Hyderabad State , who ruled after the independence from the Mughals in 1724 , until 1948 , when Hyderabad was annexed , to become an Indian state . The Fort . Golkonda consists of four distinct fort s with a 10 km long outer wall with 87 semicircular bastions ( some still mounted with cannon s ) , eight gateways , and four drawbridge s , with a number of royal apartments & halls , temples , mosques , magazines , stables , etc . inside . The lowest of these is the outermost enclosure into which we enter by the " Fateh Darwaza " ( Victory gate , so called after Aurangzeb ’ 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 . At Fateh Darwaza can be experienced a fantastic acoustic effect , characteristic of the engineering marvels at Golkonda . A hand clap at a certain point below the dome at the entrance reverberates and can be heard clearly at the ' Bala Hisar ' pavilion , the highest point almost a kilometre away . This worked as a warning note to the royals in case of an attack . The whole of the Golkonda Fort complex and its surrounding spreads across 11 km of total area , and discovering its every nook is an arduous task . A visit to the fort reveals the architectural beauty in many of the pavilions , gates , entrances and domes . Divided into four district forts , the architectural valour still gleams in each of the apartments , halls , temples , mosques , and even stables . The graceful gardens of the fort may have lost their fragrance , for which they were known 400 years ago , yet a walk in these former gardens should be in your schedule when exploring the past glories of Golkonda Fort . Bala Hissar 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 a blend of Hindu – Muslim architecture . Toli Masjid , situated at Karwan , about 2 km from the Golkonda fort , was built in 1671 by Mir Musa Khan Mahaldar , royal architect of Abdullah Qutb Shah . The facade consists of five arches , each with lotus medallions in the spandrels . The central arch is slightly wider and more ornate . The mosque inside is divided into two halls , a transverse outer hall and an inner hall entered through triple arches . Much thought went into building this gate . A few feet in front of the gate is a large wall . This prevented elephants and soldiers ( during enemy attacks ) from having a proper ramp to run and break the gate . The fort of Golkonda is known for its magical acoustic system . The highest point of the fort is the " Bala Hissar " , which is located a kilometer away . The palaces , factories , water supply system and the famous " Rahban " cannon , within the fort are some of the major attractions . It is believed that there is a secret underground tunnel that leads from the " Durbar Hall " and ends in one of the palaces at the foot of the hill . The fort also contains the tombs of the Qutub Shahi kings . These tombs have Islamic architecture and are located about 1 km north of the outer wall of Golkonda . They are encircled by beautiful gardens and numerous exquisitely carved stones . It is also believed that there was a secret tunnel to Charminar . The two individual pavilions on the outer side of Golkonda are also major attractions of the fort . It is 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 Golkonda Fort . The other buildings found inside the fort are : This majestic structure has beautiful palaces and an ingenious water supply system . Sadly , the unique architecture of the fort is now losing its charm . The ventilation of the fort is absolutely fabulous having exotic designs . They were so intricately designed that cool breeze could reach the interiors of the fort , providing a respite from the heat of summer . 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 . Naya Qila ( New Fort ) . Naya Qila is an extension of the Golkonda Fort opposite to it . This ramparts of this new fort starts after the residential area in between . This area is very extensive with extenstive ramparts , many towers and Haathiyaan Ka Jhaad - a very large and old Baobab Tree with an enormous girth . It also includes a war mosque . Plans are afoot by the local government to convert the area into a Golf Club . Qutub Shahi Tombs . The tombs of the Qutb Shahi sultans lie about one kilometer north of Golkonda ' s outer wall . These structures are made of beautifully carved stonework , and surrounded by landscaped gardens . They are open to public and receive many visitors .