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The Gulburga fort was enlarged in 1347 during the reign of Al-ud-din Hasan Bahmani of the Bahmani Dynasty after he became an independent ruler and severed his alliance with the Delhi Sultanate. Alauddin Hassan, chose Gulbarga his capital of Bahmini kingdom (1347–1527). After 1424, the capital was shifted to Bidar for administrative reasons. The Bahmani Sultanate, the first independent Islamic state of the Deccan in South India and one of the great medieval Indian kingdoms, ruled the land for 191 long years (1347-1538 A.D.) with Gulbarga (Ahasnabad) and Bidar as their capital.
The Gulburga fort and the various impressive monuments inside it reflect a blend of Indo-Persian style of architecture. Covering a vast area of about 57 acres (23 ha) of land with the periphery stretching 3 kilometres (1.9 mi), it is well fortified with double fortification surrounded by a wide (30 feet ) moat all around the fort. The fort structure is ingeniously fortified with 15 towers mounted with 26 powerful guns; each gun located inside the fort is 8 metres (26 ft) long and is still well preserved. Some guns were believed to be the most powerful. A unique feature noticed in the fort and on the buildings - arches, arcades, etc is the presence of motifs (emblem of the crescent and disc) implying their lineage with the Sasanians - Neo-Persian empire.
Jami Masjid mosque:
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| the Jama Mosque, Gulburga Fort, Karnataka, Getty images.com |
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| Inside the Jama Mosque, Gulburga Fort, Karnataka. en.wikipedia.org |
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| Jama Masjid, Gulburga, Karnataka. deccanherald.com |
Jami Masjid mosque, one of the first in South India, was built by the ruler to commemorate Gulbarga as the capital of the Bahmani Sultanate. Only one of a kind in India built on the model of the Great Mosque of Córdoba in Spain, the well designed masjid with a symmetrical plan has a simple appearance. It dimensions are: 216 feet (66 m) x 176 feet (54 m). The masjidi was in ruins. and the state Archaeology dept carried out some major repairs and did some restoration work to increase the life of this heritage site.
With no open courtyard, characterized by the outer passageways surrounding the prayer hall on three sides and having low open arcades with arches, the roofed interior bays are covered with low domes, faceted by pendentives. The front yard across the mihrab (niche in the wall) has nine bays with a single large dome. This masjid with strong Persian influence has five large domes (One large and four small at the corners) and 75 small domes with 250 arches
The tomb of Khwaja Syed Mohammad Gesu Daraz:
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| Syed Mohammad Gesu Daraz,budgetindianvacations.wordpress.com |
Above image: Khwaja Bande Nawaz Dargah: It is a shrine that has the tomb of Khwaja Syed Mohammad Gesu Daraz, a famous Sufi saint. People who visited this place said, ''it is a serene place of worship. ...........................
There is a tomb of the Sufi saint Syed Mohammad Gesu Daraz, popularly known as Khwaja Bande Nawaz, who came to Gulburga in 1413 and engaged in spiritual pursuits and taught the people the essence of life. The tomb is built in the Indo-Saracenic style. The structure is a large complex.
World's largest canon, Gulburga fort:
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Yet another interesting fact is the world's longest canon is located in Gulbarga fort. Erected during the reign of Bahmani Empire in the 14th century, it is made of an alloy of five metals (Panch dhatu). Popularly called the Bara Gazi toph (canon) it measures about 29 feet in length. The circumference is 7.6 feet, diameter 2 feet and thickness is 7 inch. The 23 foot long canon which claims to be the largest one in the world is in the Koulas fort in Nizamabad district, Telangana, South India.
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