Feroz Shah Kotla

Location

The ruins of Ferozabad, the 5th city of Delhi, erected by Feroz Shah Tughlaq in 1354 can be found at Feroz Shah Kotla, just off Bahadur Shah Zafar Marg between the Old and New Delhi. The remains of a mosque and a well can also be seen, but most of the ruins were used for the construction of later cities. Feroz Shah was a great builder and so, this fifth city of Delhi was full of splendid palaces, mosques and gardens. The Tughlaqabad area was woefully short of water and this made the Tomars move westward to Mehrauli. Firoz Shah, Muhammad Tughlaq's successor solved this problem by building his new city on the banks of Yamuna. Kotla was the inner citadel of Firozabad, built like Windsor, with great palaces and a magnificent mosque inspiring Timur's envy. Destroyed by the Mughals, Kotla palaces were reduced to mere ruins, exposing to view the subterranean passages and covered cloisters. One can still see the pyramidal structure topped by the Ashokan Pillar brought from Topra, and a three-tiered baoli. Timur's invasion of Delhi reduced the city to a city of ruins as he took away with him elephants loaded with treasures and costly building material, artists, masons and skilled workmen as prisoners. The Saiyyads and Lodis used Kotla as their citadel. Now more famous for the cricket ground, where many important matches were held.