Feroz Shah Kotla

Feroz Shah Kotla or Kotla Feroz Shah is a fortress built by sultan Feroz Shah Tughlaq of the Tughlaq dynasty in 1354. Now almost destroyed, Feroz Shah Kotla was a fort that was built to house Feroz Shah’s new capital city, Ferozabad situated along river Yamuna. One of the most notable attractions in the Kotla is a 13.1 metre high pillar known as the Ashoka Column. This Ashoka Pillar was from the period of Mauryan ruler Ashoka from 3rd century BC and it is made of polished sandstone. The pillar is actually from Ambala but Feroz Shah moved it from there and re-erected it at Feroz Shah Kotla in 1354.

Other attractions within this fortress that can still be viewed in good condition include the royal residential palaces, mosques, pillared halls and a stepped well known as baoli. The congregational mosque named Jami Masjid features a well-spaced courtyard that stands on a series of cells. The Ashokan Pillar stands atop a pyramidal structure.