Question

Which of the following is/are the architectural feature of Gol Gumbaz?
A. The area of Gol Gumbaz is 18000 sq. feet. Its dome has an external diameter of meters.
B. There are four towers attached to its four corners.
C. Each tower or turret has seven stories with a small dome at the top.
D. All of the above.

Answer 1

Hint Located at Vijayapura in Karnataka, Gol Gumbaz is also known as the ‘Black Taj Mahal’ and is the mausoleum of king Muhammad Adil Shah of the Adil Shah Dynasty. The construction of the majestic tomb is said to have started in 1626 and completed in 1656 by the architect named Yaqut.

Complete step-by-step solution
On both sides of these ancient structures lie a cube of around $47.5m$ (156 ft), and is capped by a roof of 44 m (144 ft) in external diameter. Eight intersecting arches are created by two rotated squares highlighting interlocking pendentives that support the dome structure. At each of the four corners of the cube lies a dome-capped octagonal tower composed of seven stories high with a staircase inside. The topmost floor of each tower opens up around a gallery surrounding the dome. Spreading out an area of $1700{m^2}$ (18,000 sq. ft), the mausoleum is described as one of the biggest single chamber spaces in the entire world.

Thus, option (D) is correct.

Additional InformationEnclosing the dome is a whispering gallery wherein even the softest sound can be heard on the other side of the mausoleum due to the acoustics of the space. There is also a museum within the complex which was established during the British rule in 1892.

Note The name of the Indo-Islamic architecture of Gol Gumbaz is said to have been derived from the phrase Gol Gombadh which meant a "circular dome". This Taj Mahal-inspired monument is the second largest in the world after St. Peter’ Basilica situated in Rome.