Kondapalli Fort

En un regard

Le château en bref

Kondapalli Fort, also known as Kondapalli Kota, occupies a wooded hill overlooking the banks of the Krishna River, west of the village of Kondapalli, near Vijayawada, in the NTR district of Andhra Pradesh. Founded in the fourteenth century by the Reddi dynasty, it was first a place of rest and a trading centre before becoming a coveted military stronghold. The Gajapatis of Odisha, the emperors of Vijayanagara, the Qutb Shahis of Golconda, the Mughals, the Nizams of Hyderabad and then the British succeeded one another there. Built of granite, stone and mortar, the complex shows Persian, Bahmani and Mughal influences, and its defensive design is often compared with that of Golconda. Visitors enter through three gates, including the Dargah Darwaza, carved from a single block of granite, and the Golconda Darwaza. Inside remain the royal palace, the women's quarters with their pools, the elephant stables, a dance hall, the audience hall, a prison and an arsenal. Reservoirs at the summit once collected spring and rainwater. The fort, which has undergone restoration work, is open to visitors.