Bijapur - The Heritage City

Bijapur has many places of historical, cultural and architectural interest mainly related to Islamic architecture. It was the center of the Bahmani sultanate. Gol-Gumbaz

Gol Gumbaz boasts of the second largest dome in the world. 44 meters in diameter, this dome forms a highly sensitive echo-chamber. The slightest whisper echoes seven times over and the tick of a clock held at one end can be distinctly heard at the opposite end - 125 feet away !

Ibrahim Roza

Built on a single rock bed, it is noted for the symmetry of its features. Ibrahim Roza is rated as one of the most beautifully proportionated Islamic monuments in Indian and an inspiration for the Taj Mahal. The fine structure was built by Ibrahim II for his wife. In fact, he predeceased her and was also buried here. The complex consists of a tomb and a mosque in the middle of a huge garden. A huge tank nearby has been named after his wife, Taj Sultana. The walls of the tomb are decorated with superb calligraphic and geometric designs.

Embracing 1,16,300 square feet is the Jumma Masjid - "one of the finest mosques in India". Here, in a beautiful mihrab -covered by a heavy curtain - are verses of the Quran, beautifully inscribed in letters of gold.

Malik-e-Maidan - the largest medieval cannon in the world - is fourteen feet long, weighing about 55 tons. Legend has it that if you touch the gun and make a wish, it will come true ! Bijapur is full of such legends. Beautiful Museum

Great Buruz

Jumma Masjid

Bara Kaman

(Twelve arches) are important spots near the citadel

You could spend days exploring Bijapur. Wandering around the Arakilla, the Anand Mahal, the Mehtar Mahal, the Gagan Mahal, the Amin Durgah, the Assar Mahal,The Sat Manzil (seven-storied palace), Jala Manzil (water pavilion), the Chota Asar, the Faroukh Mahal, the Jahz Mahal, the Jod Gumbaz… Listening to the quaint Deccan dialect.