Gol Gumbaz, situated in Bijapur is an amazing architectural wonder. The dome is the second largest in the world, 124 feet in diameter. The dome stands unsupported by pillars. The fantastic acoustical system in the dome carries the faintest whisper around the dome and returns it to the listener nine times. Its most arresting features are the seven-storied octagonal spires at the four corners and the heavy bracketed cornice below the parapet. The Gol Gumbaz is an enormous cube of stone and masonry, capped by a gigantic dome.

Muhammad Adil Shah in 1656, the seventh ruler of the Adil Shah dynasty, built the Gol Gumbaz.

Even the tick of a watch or the rustle of paper can be heard across a distance of 37 m in the whispering gallery. The gallery around the dome provides a fabulous view of the town. The architecture of this building is unique with the four minarets being the four staircases leading to the top dome. The beauty and excellence of this dome must be experienced at least once in a lifetime.

Nearby the Nagar Khana, which resembles the Gol Gumbaz, is a museum. It houses some of the most exquisite Chinese porcelain, armoury, parchments, carpets, and paintings.

Constructed almost entirely out of a local dark brown stone the circular walled city of Bijapur rose with a citadel towards the center. Five gates, in the six-mile circular wall, allowed entrance within and a hundred bastions fortified it. A deep moat, filled with water brought from underground sources, skirted the walls. A range of buildings spanning varied architectural elements defined the landscape, the most famous being the Gol Gumbaz.