The defining monument of Bijapur and one of the great achievements of Indian Islamic architecture. The mausoleum was built between 1626 and 1656 for Sultan Muhammad Adil Shah, and its central dome — 44 metres across — was the second largest in the world when completed, surpassed only by St Peter's in Rome. The exterior is austere, four tall octagonal towers at the corners holding up the immense dome, but the engineering inside is extraordinary.
The famous Whispering Gallery runs around the inside of the dome at the level where it begins to curve. Climb the spiral stairs in one of the corner towers to reach it. The acoustics are uncanny — a soft sound carries the full circumference and returns; a loud clap echoes seven distinct times. Visit early in the day, before tour groups arrive and start testing the echo simultaneously. There are gardens around the tomb and a small archaeological museum in the gatehouse with finds from the Adil Shahi period.