Huge, 300-metre cliffs of sheer red sandstone protect the north walls of Bidar fort, where the Deccan’s pre-eminent dynasty, the Bahmanis, sited their capital in the 15th century. The ruins of beautiful palaces and mosques lie within, and from the ramparts you can gaze across to nearby Ashtur, where the fractured white and tan-coloured domes of the Sultans’ tombs soar above stands of giant mango trees. It’s worth making the trip out to see them close up – superb mosaics and sculptural detail adorn their crumbling interiors.