Surrounded by fortified walls and a wide moat, the citadel once contained the palaces, pleasure gardens and durbar (royal court) of the Adil Shahi kings. Now mainly in ruins, the most impressive of the remaining fragments is the colossal archway of Gagan Mahal , built by Ali Adil Shah I around 1561 as a dual-purpose royal residency and durbar hall. The gates here are locked, but someone will be on hand to let you in.
The ruins of Mohammed Adil Shah’s seven-storey palace, the Sat Manzil , are nearby. Across the road stands the delicate Jala Manzil , once a water pavilion surrounded by secluded courts and gardens. On the other side of Station Rd (MG Rd) are the graceful arches of Bara Kaman , the ruined mausoleum of Ali Roza.
