Gol Gumbaz

Bijapur, Karnataka, India

The mausoleum of Muhammad Adil Shah of Bijapur, featuring the second largest pre-modern dome in the world after St. Peter's Basilica. Its 'Whispering Gallery' allows sounds to carry across the vast interior.

Historical Context

The Adil Shahi dynasty of Bijapur was one of the five Deccan Sultanates that emerged from the breakup of the Bahmani Sultanate. Muhammad Adil Shah's mausoleum was designed to outshine even the Mughal monuments of northern India.