Gol Gumbaz, Mausoleum in Vijaypura District, India
Gol Gumbaz is a mausoleum in Vijaypura District, India, with a large grey dome made of basalt stone. Four octagonal towers stand at the corners of the square base and surround the central chamber.
Mohammed Adil Shah began building the mausoleum in the mid-17th century as a burial site for himself and his family. After his death in 1656, the project was completed and has served as a royal resting place for the Adil Shahi dynasty since then.
The name means round dome in Persian and describes the building's form precisely. The interior spaces show geometric patterns and calligraphy on the walls, which visitors notice while crossing the large hall.
Visitors can climb the spiral staircase inside one of the towers to reach the upper gallery beneath the dome. The ascent requires some endurance, as the narrow steps wind upward.
A whispering gallery runs around the inside of the dome's base and allows even quiet sounds to carry across long distances. Someone whispering at one wall can be heard by a person at the opposite end.
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