Gol Gumbaz

Gol Gumbaz is the mausoleum (tomb) of the king Mohammed Adil Shah, Adil Shah Dynasty. Construction of the tomb, located in Bijapur , Karnataka, India, was started in 1626 and was completed in 1656. The name is based on "Gol Gumbadh" derived from "Gola Gummata" meaning "circular dome". It follows the style of culture and [Indo-Islamic architecture] .

Gol Gumbaz
Gol Gumbaz at Bijapur (Karnataka)
Location of Gol Gumbaz in Karnataka
Location of Gol Gumbaz in India
Coordinates16°49′48.11″N 75°44′9.95″E
LocationBijapur, Karnataka, India
DesignerYaqut of Dabul
TypeMausoleum
MaterialDark grey basalt
Height51 m (167 ft 4 in)
Beginning date1626
Completion date1656
Dedicated toMuhammad Adil Shah
Variant Names Gol Gumbad

The building is one of those put by UNESCO on its "tentative list" to become a World Heritage Site in 2014, under the name Monuments and Forts of the Deccan Sultanate (despite there being a number of different sultanates).[1]

Architecture

Plan of Gol gumbaz
Circular dome from inside

[2]The structure is composed of a cube, 48 m (156 ft) on each side, capped by a roof 44 m (144 ft) in external diameter. Eight intersecting arches created by two rotated squares that create interlocking pendentives support the dome. At each of the four corners of the cube, is a dome-capped octagonal tower seven stories high with a staircase inside. The upper floor of each tower opens on to a round gallery which surrounds the dome. The dome is one of the largest domes constructed before the modern era.

Inside the mausoleum, hall is a polygonal podium, with steps on each side. In the middle of the podium, a cenotaph slab on the ground marks the actual grave below, "the only instance of this practice" in the architecture of the Deccan sultanates. In the middle of the north side, "a large semi-octagonal bay" protrudes out. With an area of 1,700 m2 (18,000 sq ft), the mausoleum has one of the biggest single chamber spaces in the world. Running around the inside of the dome is the whispering gallery where even the softest sound can be heard on the other side of the mausoleum due to the acoustics of the space.

There is a museum within the complex. The museum was established during the British rule in 1892.

References

[1]

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