The Ibrahim Rouza was constructed in 1626 CE by Ibrahim Adil Shah II, the sixth Sultan of Adil Shahi dynasty. It stands as a beautiful and picturesque group of two buildings which include the tomb of Ibrahim II, his queen Taj Sultana and four other members of the family.
The magnificent group stands upon a high terrace in a rectangular enclosure about 400 ft. square with a lofty entrance tower in the middle of the north wall, ornamented with four graceful minarets. The tomb which is by far the most ornate building in Bijapur has a double row of arches forming two open colonnades. It is surmounted by a dome resting on a second square rising out of the flat roof of the building with its base ornamented by a number of small minarets.
The columns of this colonnade are curiously wrought from the springing of the arches in imitation of wood carving and the arches themselves are of a very quaint shape and are encrusted with carving in a beautiful variety of design. Enclosed by this inner colonnade, is the square chamber forming the tomb. The exterior wall of the sepulcher is most elaborately decorated. To each of the four sides is a doorway flanked by an exquisite ornamental window with interlaced Arabic script. But the most remarkable feature is the hanging ceiling. It is composed of stone slabs with no apparent means of support, the secret lying in the exceptional tenacity of the mortar. Above is another chamber in the dome, reached by a narrow staircase. Over the north door is a Persian inscription, including a chronogram of 1626 CE. Over the south door is the date 1633 CE, with an inscription praising Ibrahim and another commemorating the architect. Around the tomb is a colonnaded verandah with a beautifully carved and decorated ceiling divided into compartments and inlaid with arabesques and flowers. Traces of the gilt and azure colours remain. It is one of the finest examples of Islamic ornamental decoration in India. Outside, the double arches is crowned by a fine cornice with corner minarets and eight smaller ones between them. To the west, within the enclosure, is the Mosque in similar style. It is with five elegant arches beneath a finely detailed cornice enriched with stone – chains carved from single blocks of stone. Four slender minarets with onion domes crown the four corners. The structures located to the west of Ibrahim Rouza are the Tomb of the Begum Sahiba, wife of Aurangzeb, and the Jami Masjid of Ibrahim I (1551 CE) that lies out in the fields. This is an old-fashioned plain mosque with brick and mortar minarets over the corners and central piers. Only the brackets of the cornice remain. The Tomb of Ali Adil Shah I (1580 CE), a rectangular plain edifice surrounded by a corridor and containing four tombs. At the southeastern corner is a high platform with a beautiful dark green tombstone in the centre.

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Dharwad Circle

The Ibrahim Rouza

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The Ibrahim Rouza

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