Photo:Mukul Banerjee/Wikimedia
Mohammed Adil Shah was the seventh ruler of Bijapur, of the Adil Shahi dynasty.
He ascended the throne in 1627 on his father’s death, at the age of fifteen.
Nevertheless, the Sultan was buried in the Gol Gumbaz, as was his wish.
The tomb consist of a giant cube topped with a hemispherical dome.
The cube is 47 meters on each side, while the dome has an external diameter of 44 meters.
The levels of the towers are marked by arcades and contain staircases within.
The interior is a huge single chamber that is approximately 41 meters across and 60 meters high.
Mohammad Adil Shah’s cenotaph is covered by a wooden canopy, although this might be a later addition.
The dome, however, is built of brick and cemented with layers of lime.
At the time of its construction, the Gol Gumbaz boasted the largest dome in the Islamic world.
This include the Bijapur Fort, Bara Kaman, Jama Masjid, and of course, Gol Gumbaz.
Photo:Ashwin Kumar/Flickr
Photo:Nicolas Mirguet/Flickr
Photo:Omkar A Kamale/Wikimedia
