Qila-yi Kohna (the Old Fort) - Sultan Nagar Fort - Sururnagar - Quli Qutub Shahi Fort

By Seven Oaks -
Photo Copyright - MIT Dome.  https://share.google/Z6d2MZVoRZU7NUrdk


The Sultan Nagar Fort is an unfinished Qutb Shahi fortress located in the eastern part of Hyderabad (near Saroornagar and LB Nagar). [1, 2]

Origins and Construction

  • Foundation: The construction began around 1620 AD by the sixth Qutb Shahi ruler, Sultan Muhammad Qutb Shah, who wanted to build a new capital or alternate fortress about 6 miles east of old Hyderabad. [2, 3]
  • Investment: The king spent massive amounts of wealth (estimates range around 3 lakh gold coins or 300,000 huns) on the project. [2, 4]
  • Layout: The planned complex was meant to span a large area with concentric walls, a royal palace, and a massive defensive moat measuring roughly 75 feet deep and 150 feet wide. A grand mosque (known as the Sultan Nagar Mosque or Quli Qutb Shahi Masjid) with seven double arches and minarets was also built. [2, 4, 5]

Why It Was Abandoned

  • Sudden Death: Sultan Muhammad Qutb Shah died suddenly in 1625 at the young age of 32. [3, 4]
  • The Ill Omen: His young wife, Hayat Bakshi Begum, viewed his untimely death as a bad omen and halted all construction on the unfinished fort. [3, 4]
  • Shift to Hayathnagar: Following the abandonment, she established a new settlement further east called Hayathnagar, where she later commissioned the famous Hayat Bakshi Mosque in 1672. [3, 4]

Later History and Current Status

  • Decline & Spoliation: Over the centuries, the abandoned site fell into ruin. During the Nizam era, some of the stone from the structure was reused by the minister Arastu Jah for his mansion. [1]
  • Khilla Maisamma: Parts of the ruins eventually came to house a local shrine/temple known as Khilla Maisamma. [1, 6]
  • Present Condition: Today, the site consists of scattered historical ruins, the old mosque, and remnants of the massive moat swallowed largely by urban encroachment around LB Nagar and Saroornagar. Conservation bodies like the Aga Khan Trust for Culture have periodically looked into preserving the historical Qutb Shahi remains in the region. [1, 7, 8]



Current Condition: 



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