Hidden Secrets of Bibi ka Maqbara Aurangabad-Dome of Bibi Ka Maqbara Aurangabad
Development
in the art of architecture in the early Muslim period resulted in the
construction of beautiful buildings with domes over them. Muhammad Adil Shah
built the Gol Gumbad or “Round Dome” which is the largest dome in the world and
measures 144 feet in height and the interior hall of the dome measures 135 feet
in diameter.[1]
The entire area of the hall is 18,000 square feet. The Gol Gumbad is claimed to
be the largest domical roof in existence in the world.[2]
While constructing the dome of the Taj Mahal the expert craftsmen of Bijapur
were employed.[3]
The name of the dome builder was Ismail Khan Rumi.[4] The principal dome of the Taj rises from the centre of the edifice which is nearly 80 feet in height and has a diameter of 58 feet.[5]
The
dome of the Maqbara was constructed just after the completion of the Taj at
Agra and there is no doubt about the involvement of expert hands in the
construction of the dome of the Bibi Ka Maqbara Aurangabad of Dilras
Bano Begum at Aurangabad. The dome was placed over a square compartment in
Byzantine style. The difficulty of joining the square compartment with the
circular dome was overcome by constructing a series of small niches in rows one
above the other to fill the gap between the two shapes.[6]
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| Beauty of the dome seen from the top Chamber of Minaret |
[1] Brown, op. cit., p.81
[2] Ibid., p. 81
[3] E.B. Havell, “The Ancient and
Medieval Architecture of India”, (New Delhi, Chand and Co. 1972), p. 138
[4] Ibid., p. 138
[5] Kanwar Lal, “The Taj”, Delhi, R.
& K. Pub. House, 1965, p.81
[6] Sir Banister Fletcher, “A History
of Architecture”, (London, B.T. Batsford Ltd. 1954), p. 959
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