Kondavid Fort

 fortification, historic ruins

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Kondavid Fort is located in Kondavidu village in the Phirangipuram Mandal, Narasaraopet taluk of Guntur district, Andhra Pradesh, India. It is a hill fortress located 1,700 feet (520 m) MSL. Kondavid Fort was originally constructed by the Rajas of Orissa in the 13th century. Later it was ruled by the Reddi dynasty between 1328 and 1428 and then taken over by the Muslim rulers of the Bahmani kingdom (1458). The Vijayanagara emperor Krishnadevaraya captured it in 1516. The Golconda Sultans fought for the fort in 1531, 1536 and 1579, and Sultan Quli Qutb Shah finally captured it in 1579, renaming it Murtuzanagar.
The fort came under the control of the French colonists in 1752 when it was extensively fortified. It passed on to the English imperialists who got control of the fort in 1788 but abandoned it in early 19th century in favour of Guntur. Now, the massive fortifications and battlements are seen in ruins only. The interior has extensive ruins of magazines and storehouses.This has one of the steepest path to climb on, hence only horses were used to reach the top.