Gol Gumbaz

Gol Gumbaz in Vijayapura is the tomb of the Adil Shahi sultan Mohammed Adil Shah and the best-known monument of the city. Its enormous dome, often described as second in size only to that of St Peter's Basilica in Rome, stands with no internal supports, and the name comes from Gol Gummata, meaning circular dome. The building is a landmark of Deccan Indo-Islamic design.

Work started while the sultan was alive and took around twenty years, ending only after his death. A gallery running round the inner base of the dome carries sound so well that a soft whisper crosses it clearly and echoes ten or eleven times. The walled grounds also hold a mosque, a Naqqar Khana once used by court musicians and now a museum, and the ruins of guest houses.