The Gol Gumbaz is one of the most ambitious structures built by the Adil Shahi dynasty. It is the most technically advanced domed structure to have been erected in the
Deccan, and one of the largest single-chamber structures in the world. Bianca Alfieri asserts that the building's size was a conscious decision made by Mohammed Adil Shah in order to rival the architecture of the
Ibrahim Rauza, the tomb of the ruler's predecessor
Ibrahim Adil Shah II. The mausoleum is contained in a larger walled complex, with other buildings such as a mosque, a
naqqar khana, and a
dharmshala. 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, which are topped by large
merlons. Leaves surround the base of the mausoleum's dome, hiding the joint between the dome and its drum. A half-octagonal room is attached to the north facade of the building, though this is also a later addition.
Dome At the time of its construction, the Gol Gumbaz boasted the
largest dome in the Islamic world. Its external diameter is nearly 44 m and its internal diameter is approximately 38 m. The dome is made of brick and cemented with layers of lime. It has six small openings in its base as well as a flat section at its crown. The dome rests on a circular base, which is internally supported by interlocking
pendentives, formed from eight intersecting arches that arise from the interior hall. Similar
vaulting is found, though on a smaller scale, in the
Jama Masjid of Bijapur and the
Ibrahim Rauza. Outside of Bijapur, this pendentive support system is virtually unknown. The conceptual origin of the Gol Gumbaz's pendentives is debated, though a
Central Asian influence has been suggested by multiple scholars. Around the base of the dome is a gallery, accessed by the staircases in the towers. It is known as the 'whispering gallery' since the faintest sound from here is heard across the dome, due to the sound reflecting off the dome. ==Art and literature==