About

Gol Gumbaz is a 17th-century mausoleum located in Bijapur, Karnataka. It houses the remains of Mohammad Adil Shah, seventh sultan of the Adil Shahi dynasty, and some of his relatives. Begun in the mid-17th century, the structure never reached completion. The Gol Gumbaz is one of the most technically advanced domed structures to have been erected, and one of the largest single-chamber structures in the world.

Constructed in:

17th century CE

Architecture

The plan of the Gol Gumbaz is simple. It is a cube 47.5 m on each side, topped by a hemispherical dome of diameter approximately 44 m.

Domed octagonal towers, each divided into seven floors and topped by a bulbous dome, line the four corners of the cube

The levels of the towers are marked by arcades and contain staircases within.

The walls of the structure are built of dark grey basalt and decorated plaster.

Each side wall of the cube bears three blind arches; the spandrels of the arches contain medallion motifs, and the central arch on each side wall is filled with a stone screen containing doorways and windows.

Cornices project from the building, supported by corbels. Atop the cornices are rows of small arches, themselves topped by large merlons.

Leaves surround the base of the mausoleum's dome, hiding the joint between the dome and its drum