Bijapur Fort

The fort and the citadel within it were completed by Yusuf Adil Shah in 1566.[10] They were built in two concentric circles. The citadel at the centre of the two concentric circles has a circumferential length of 400 metres (1,300 ft). The east–west axis of the fort measures 3 kilometres (1.9 mi). The circumferential length of the fort’s outer wall, which encloses the old city, measures 10 kilometres (6.2 mi). It is strongly fortified with the most massive materials with ninety-six large bastions of various designs.[10] The bastions are decorated with "crenellations and interspersed with machicolations". In addition, there are ten other bastions at the five main gateways[10] (which are arched and decorated entrances) to the fort. It is surrounded by a moat of 30 feet (9.1 m) to 40 feet (12 m) width (assessed depth of 10 feet (3.0 m), but is presently silted up that even obscures its presence and hence its depth cannot be correctly stated).[10] The fort wall has varying height, about 50 feet (15 m) high. The width is about 25 feet (7.6 m); from bastion to bastion runs a battlemented curtained wall about 10 ft (3.0 m) high.[10][9][11][12]

The five gateways in the fort are the Makka gate on the west, the Shahapur gate at the north-west corner, the Bahmani gate on the north, the Allahpur gate on the east, and the Fateh gate on the south-east.

In the days when Bijapur Sultanate commanded almost the whole of the Deccan territory, the strongly fortified fort had more than 1000 canons made of brass and iron. The palace inside was encompassed by two moats. As also reported, in the mid 16th century, the palace was guarded by 2000 men and the city had a garrison of 5000 men headed by Nammouth Chan, an Italian.[13]

Jamia Masjid

View of the Jami Masjid from the south-east	The Quran, written in gold at Jumma Masjid’s mehrab

Jamia Masjid located in the southeast part of the city, the largest mosque of Bijapur, was started in 1565, but not fully completed. It has an arcaded prayer hall with fine aisles supported on massive piers and has an impressive dome in the façade which has nine bays. The large courtyard also has a water tank. It is called the Jami Masjid or Jumma Masjid as Qutba is read here every Friday. The masjid spreads over an area of 10,810 square metres (116,400 sq ft). The mosque building is in a rectangular shape of size 170 metres (560 ft) x 70 metres (230 ft).[14] The façade depicts nine large arches with five inner arches enclosing 45 compartments; the building is incomplete as two minarets are missing or not built. The dome is semicircular in shape. In 1636, the arched shaped mehrab in the mosque was gilded and inscribed with Persian verses, at the instance of Muhammad Adil Shah. Another interesting feature is the 2250 inlaid rectangular tiles in the form of prayer rugs seen in the prayer hall. The tiles were laid at the orders of the Mughal emperor Aurangzeb. Aurangzeb also got the mosque extended with an eastern gate and verandahs to the east, the south and the north.[3][9][15][16]

Ibrahim Rauza tomb

Ibrahim Rauza (‘Rauza’ means "tomb") also known as Ali Rauza, built in 1627, contains the tomb of Ibrahim Adil Shah II and his queen Taj Sultana. It was originally intended to be the tomb for the queen. It is a fine square structure with twin buildings with delicate carvings. It was designed by the Persian architect, Malik Sandal (his grave also lies in the courtyard). The tomb (of Ibrahim Adil Shah II, his two sons, and his mother) on the left and a mosque on the right within it are set in a walled garden (about 140 metres (460 ft) square) facing each other over an ornamental pond. The tomb as such is in a central chamber of 13 metres (43 ft) square and has a ceiling that is divided into nine squares with curved sides. Graceful minarets mark the corners of each symmetrical building, surmounted by a dome rising from a lotus petal base. Steps are provided to approach the raised platform on which the two structures have been built. It is said that this tomb provided the inspiration for building the Taj Mahal at Agra. The structure has been erected on a single rock slab and has a basement, which was used to store ammunition and food. In the prayer hall in the mosque, there are two chains carved out of a single rock. It has impressive gateways. 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. Impressed by its architectural splendour, Henry Cousens, an expert in Art and Architecture called it the "Taj Mahal of the South".[1][3][5][9][17]

Mehtar Mahal

Mehtar Mahal	Doorway of the Mehtar Mahal

Though modestly sized, Mehtar Mahal dated to 1620 is one of the most elegant structures in the fort; the entry gate in particular has been built in Indo-Saracenic style. The façade has three arches, which depict exquisite "cornice supported on carved corbels". A gateway leads to the Mehtar mosque, which is a three-storey building. It has two slender minarets that are covered with delicately carved birds and rows of swans. The carvings are in Hindu architectural style, in the form of brackets supporting the balconies and stone trellis work. The building has a flat roof and minarets have rounded top.[9][18][19]

Barakaman

Barakaman- unfinished tomb of Ali Adil Shah

Barakaman (meaning 12 arches) is a mausoleum of Ali Roza built in 1672. It is located to the north of the citadel and the Gagan Mahal, in the midst of a public garden. It was initially called as Ali Roza, but Shah Nawab Khan changed its name to Bara Kaman, as this was the 12th monument built during his reign and was planned with 12 arches.[20] It is a 215 feet (66 m) square building built on a raised platform. It has now seven arches built of brown basaltic stone, in Gothic style. The tomb is in an inner raised enclosure, which contains the graves of Ali, queens and eleven other ladies, possibly belonging to the Zenana of the queens.[9][19]

The Malik-i-Maidan, the Gun position

View of the Malik-i-Maidan gun position in 1865	The Malik-i-Maidan is stated to be the largest piece of cast bronze ordnance in the world[10]

The Malik-i-Maidan (Master of the Battlefield), also called Burj-E-Sherz, was erected by Ibrahim Adil Shah II. It was named after the Battle of Talikota of 1565 in which the Vijayanagara Empire was routed. It is now located in the fort on its western ramparts between two bastions. It has a large cannon, 4.45 metres (14.6 ft) long and 1.5 metres (4.9 ft) in diameter with a 700 millimetres (28 in) bore. The cannon weighs 55 tonnes and is considered one of the largest medieval guns made.[21] The unusual feature of the gun is that its muzzle is shaped in the form of a lion head with carved open jaws as if devouring an elephant (depicted between the jaws). The gun is cool when touched even during the hot summer season and when tapped gives soft resonating sound. It is said that touching it brings good luck. From the inscriptions on the gun position, it is deduced that the gun was cast in 1549 at Ahmadnagar from bell metal by Muhammad Bin Husain Rumi. Another inscription records that Aurangzeb conquered Bijapur in 1685-86.[3][5][9][19][22] It is also said that the large weight of the canon discouraged the British from carrying it as a trophy to England.[8]

Gagan Mahal or Heavenly Palace

View of the Gagan Mahal and the Sat Manzili from the moat	Another view of Gagan Mahal

Gagan Mahal or Heavenly Palace was built by Ali Adil Shah I in 1561 as a royal palace with a durbar hall. It has three impressive arches and the central arch is the widest. The durbar hall was located in the ground floor while the first floor was built as the private residence of the royal family. But both floors are now in ruins. The façade of the palace has three arches; the central arch, which is the largest of the three, is 20 metres (66 ft) long and 17 metres (56 ft)in height.[5][9][19][23]

Sat Manzili was originally a seven-storeyed palace but now only five floors exist. It is conjectured that it was a pleasure pavilion built in 1583 during the reign of Ibrahim II Adil Shah.[24]

Taj Bawdi is a water reservoir that was built to commemorate Taj Sultana, Ibrahim II ’s first wife. The entrance arch is very impressive and has two octagonal towers; the east & west wings of the two towers were used as rest houses.[19]

Gol Gumbaz

Gol Gumbaz in 1890	Gol Gumbaz as seen now

Gol Gumbaz was built in 1626 by Mohammad Adil Shah. It is built on a raised platform surrounded by a large garden. It covers an area of 15,000 square feet (1,400 m²). The dome of the tomb measuring 126 feet (38 m) in diameter at its base is the second largest dome in the world. Its three other rivals, in size, are in Italy - two of them at Pantheon and St. Peters. The eastern entrance has been converted into a site museum. It is the Mausoleum of Mohammad Adil-Shah (1626–56). It has four seven-storeyed corner towers, each opening on to a unique "whispering gallery".[1][8][27]

The Sangeet – Nari Mahal

The Sangeet – Nari Mahal built at Navraspur, Bijapur is located 3 kilometres (1.9 mi) away from Bijapur town. It is one of the important structures typically representing the Adilshahi architecture in the area. It was built in the 16th century. It now has ruins of a palace building and a reservoir, enclosed by a high wall.[28]

Saath Kabar (meaning: sixty graves) is called the 'dark tourist spot' in Bijapur as it is a moot witness to a very tragic story linked to it. Local stories and rumors allege that Afzal Khan, the brave army chief of Ali Adil Shahi-II, killed his 63 wives out of cruel jealousy that they would remarry after his death. Before setting out for a crucial battle with Shivaji, the Maratha warrior, at Pratapgad in Maharashtra in 1659, Afzal Khan murdered his 63 wives at a well near Saath Kabar.[29] The trigger which caused this tragic decision was the prophecy that his astrologers had given that he would lose the war against Shivaji and would also surely die. He, therefore, took his wives to a well at the outer limits of the fort city and pushed them into the well one by one and killed them. When two of his wives tried to escape, they were chased by his soldiers and killed. All 63 wives, who were killed thus, were buried in a place near the well, which has come to be known as "Saath Kabar" (60 graves). The place is now a visitor attraction even though the historic rumor still has not be confirmed or verified.[29]