Bijapur - Islamic Heritage City
The exceptional architecture, monuments and structures of Islamic style. The splendid mosques and tombs in the city speak volumes about the master craftsmanship of the workers of that time. Many structures in the city have withstood the test of time and continue to mesmerize people even today with their impressive architectural beauty.
Bijapur is a historical city of Karnataka and located on the border of Karnataka and Maharashtra. Bijapur is known for its medieval monuments, which are a unique form of Islamic architecture. The city is famous for its ancient monuments, mosques, mausoleums, palaces, fortifications and other structures. In Bijapur, historical monuments of architectural importance built during the rule of the Adil Shahi dynasty. It was the capital of the Adil Shahi kings from 1489 to 1686. Among the other historical attractions at Bijapur, some notable ones are the Gol Gumbaz, Bara Kaman, Ibrahim Rouza, Asar Mahal, Jamia Masjid and many more.
Bijapur was renamed as Vijayapur in 2014.
Gol Gumbaz
Gol Gumbaz is a mausoleum of Mohammad Adil Shah who was the ruler of Bijapur during the 17th century. Gol Gumbaz is among the greatest examples of Adil Shahi architecture. The circular dome is the second-largest one in the world. It took 30 years to build and was completed in the year 1656. The resting place of Mohammed Adil Shah and his wives, mistress, daughter, and grandson.
The monument derives its name from “Gola Gummata” or “Gol Gombadh”, which mean a “circular dome”.
Made of dark grey basalt stone, its chamber is among the biggest in the world measuring 18,000 sq ft and the whispering gallery allowing people to hear their most hushed tones courtesy the acoustics of the space. It is said that you can hear a word echo for about 12 times across the other end of the dome. The 144 ft high roof with a 156 ft cube on either side beneath has eight arches traversing the two squares interlocking together that work as the base for the dome.
There are four octagonal towers placed at each corner comprising a staircase. And each tower has a gallery on the top floor. The podium sits pretty in the center hall with steps on the two sides.
A particular attraction in this monument is the central chamber. One of the unique features of Gol Gumbaz is that the interior of the huge dome is unsupported.
The precinct of Gol Gumbaz comprises a mosque, garden, tavern and a museum. A cenotaph graces the podium in the middle separating the main grave underneath. The entrance to the mausoleum will greet you with a piece of meteorite that is said to have been fallen during the rule of the Sultan and is believed to safeguard the tomb from lightning.
The museum near the monument has interesting items on display like Chinese parchments, paintings, carpets and more.
Bara Kaman
The Bara Kaman was built in 1672AD, by Ali Adil Shah II, Bara Kaman is the unfinished mausoleum of Ali Adil Shah II and was supposed to be the burial mausoleum for the king and his wives.
It was planned that 12 arches(Kaman) would be placed vertically as well as horizontally surrounding the tomb of Ali Adil Shah. Ali Adil Shah II ruled the city from AD 1656 to AD 1672. However, for unknown reasons the work on the structure was left incomplete: only two arches were raised vertically.
The structure has raised walls in concentric arches. After the arches were erected, the inner arches were toppled, leaving only the outermost arch. No cement was used, instead of iron rings were used to hold the stones together.
Bara Kaman has the tombs of Ali Adil Shah II, his wife Chand Bibi, his mistresses and his daughters.
Ibrahim Rouza
Ibrahim Roza or Ali Rauza is the mausoleum of Ibrahim Adil Shah II(1580-1627). This finely decorated tomb was built in 1627. Ibrahim Roza also contains the tomb of Taj Sultana, the queen of Adil Shah II.
Ibrahim Roza is known for its artistically laid-out corridors, beautifully decorated walls and tall minarets. The large square compound of the monument also has a mosque apart from the tomb.
Ibrahim Rouza is one such magnificent monument – a beguiling tomb brim-full of rich décor, classy corridors, windows built with perforated stone and buildings that are interconnected. Admired for its outstanding work of class and intricacy, Ibrahim Rouza houses minarets that are as high as 24 meters. The delicacy of these minarets is believed to have served as the inspiration behind the making of the dainty Taj Mahal. Ibrahim Rouza is one of the handfuls of monuments that display decorative works of sculpture and immense stone latticework. The three primary sections of Bijapur happen to be the fort, the citadel and the remaining portion of the city. The citadel that goes a mile in the circuit is the most well-built and strong and is surrounded by 91-metre wide yard. The fort is encompassed by a 6-metre wide wall.
The doors are made of teak wood braced with metal strips and decorated. The inner perimeter of the Mausoleum has well-crafted arches. The outer walls of the tomb have panels displaying geometric and calligraphic designs in the form of perforated screens and shallow relief. The windows and doors also have similar motifs, which allow light to penetrate into the tomb chamber.
A special acoustic feature of the mosque mentioned is that standing next to the grave of the Sultan inside the tomb at one end, prayers can be distinctly heard at the other end. This is also called “Taj Mahal of the South”.
Asar Mahal
Asar Mahal, also known as Asar-E-Sharif, was built by Mohammad Adil Shah in 1646 to serve as a Hall of Justice. Asar Mahal once housed two hairs from Prophet Mohammed’s beard.
Jamia Masjid
The oldest mosques of India. It was built by Ali Adil Shah I in 1578, Spread over an area of about 10810 sq meter is also the largest mosque in the region.
Jumma Masjid is known to hold an exquisite copy of the Quran that is written in gold. It can accommodate about 2500 persons offering prayer at one sitting.
Visited Date: 13 February, 2021
