Karnataka Cities :- Bangalore || Bijapur || Chitradurga || Mysore || Srirangapatna

Founded by Yusuf Adil Shah, the independent state of Bijapur came into being after the Bahami Sultanate split into splinter states. The capital of Adil Shahi dynasty, Bijapur is around 530 kms to the north-west of Bangalore. This ancient town is pretty close to Belgaum.

With a lot of places of historical, cultural and architectural interest, Bijapur reached the pinnacle of its glory during the reign of Adil Shahi rulers.

It was in the year 1686 that the city was conquered by the Mughal Emperor, Aurangzeb. Later in 1724, when the Nizam of Hyderabad established his independence in the Deccan region, Bijapur was included in his dominions. The Nizam was further defeated by the Marathas in 1760 thus surrendering the rule of Bijapur to the Maratha Peshwa. It was then in 1818 that the region slipped into the hands of British with the Peshwa suffering a clear defeat. The formers thus assigned it to the princely state of Satara.

Unfortunately, the last ruler of Satara died without a male heir and falling in league with the 'Policy of Lapse' Satara along with Bijapur, was annexed to Britain's Bombay Presidency. when the last ruler died without a male heir. A new district named Kaladagi was then carved including the present-day Bijapur and Bagalkot districts. Kaladagi's administrative headquarters were in Bijapur till 1885, when they were moved to Bagalkot. Bijapur came to be a part of Bombay in independent India but was later reassigned to Mysore in 1956.

Standing as mute evidence to the splendid architectural skills of Bijapur artisans, the city consists of three distinct portions: the citadel, the fort and the remains of the city. Built by Yusuf Adil Shah, this citadel is built of the most massive materials. Remanats of Hindu Temples are still present here signifying the importace of the town in pre-Islam times.

The city is known for some of its major tourist attractions that represent the past glory; the town of Bijapur is believed to have basked in. A whispering gallery better known as the Gol Gombaz or Gola Gummata at Bijapur is the second largest dome in the world. With a diameter of 124 feet, the minarets of the dome serve as staircases leading to its top. The rare acoustics of this enclosed space cause even the smallest sound to be heard across the other side of the dome. Every sound gets echoed 9 times in the circular balcony of the dome.

The Gol Gumbaz overlooks a museum maintained by the Archeological Survey of India. Another attraction of the city is 'Jumma Masjid', one of the first mosques in India. Still used as a worship centre, the mosque possesses an exquisite copy of the Quran, written in gold. The town of Bijapur also houses the largest medieval cannon in the world about 14 ft long, weighing 55 tons at the Malik-e-Maiden.

Some of the nearby towns like Badami, Aihole and Pattadakal, are thronged by tourists for their historical temples built in the Chalukyan architectural style.