Gulbarga Fort is situated at an old provincial town, Gulbarga. The Bahmani dynasty ruled over the Deccan for nearly 200 years with Gulbarga as the capital. The fort was originally built by Raja Gulchand and later strengthened by the first Sultan Sikandar-i-Sani

Ala-ud-din Hasan Bahaman Shah-al-Wali. Gulbarga Fort was occupied by the Bahamani Sultanate. This dynasty was engaged in a constant strife with the mighty Vijayanagara Empire. This is one of the outstanding historical monuments that is worth any traveler`s visit. This silent witness to history was destroyed by Krishnadevaraya of Vijayanagar Kingdom. It was Adil Shah who reconstructed it with the plunder captured from Vijayanagar.

Built in around 13th century Gulbarga fort has 15 towers, large buildings, temples, stables, ammunition godowns, carriages, 26 guns and several beautiful courtyards. This huge historical structure reflects the grandeur of the Bahamani dynasty.

History says that during the rule of Mohammed-bin-Tughlaq officers from Daulatabad failed to collect revenue. When the emperor`s ire was looming on them they planned to flee to Gulbarga. The leader of these rebels was Hasan Gangu. He gathered an army and marched to Gulbarga after defeating Nasir-ud-din in Deccan. At Gulbarga he declared himself the sovereign and took up the title of `Sikandar-i-Sani Ala-ud-din Hasan Bahman Shah-al-Wali`. Thus he laid the foundation of the Bahamani Kingdom in 1347.

Gulbarga Fort is recognized as a national monument by the ASI and are looked after by The Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Remains Act of 1958. The other must visit spots within the fort are like, abandoned Vishnu temple, Jama Masjid built by Mohammed I, second ruler of Bahamani Kingdom, the `Rana Mandala`, the cannons, horse and elephant stables. The Haft-Gumbaz, mausoleum of Feroze Shah and family, the Sultan Hasan`s tomb, the tomb of Ghias-ud-din, and many other mosques are also part of the fort tour. Currently this fort in Karnataka is being revamped by ASI.

Apart from explaining to the visitors about the military forte of the kingdom and the by gone time what is most striking about the fort is its vast expanse of land that surrounds the mammoth building. Gulbarga Fort is situated on area of 38,000 sq. feet. Tourists can reach Gulbarga via Bijapur, Bidar or directly from Bangalore. From these places cars are available for the journey. Flights are the only form of transportation from Hyderabad.