The city of Bijapur is the headquarters of the Bijapur district in Karnataka. Located 530 km West of Bengaluru and can be easily accessed by rail, road and air. It was once the centre of the Bahamani Dynasty and later the capital of the Adil Shahi dynasty of Bijapur. Bijapur has a rich history and is full of architectural and cultural interest. The city is located at 16.83 degrees north and 75.7 degrees east at an elevation of 1988 feet.

History of Bijapur
Established sometime in the 10th or 11th century by the Chalukyas of Kalyani, the name Bijapur is a derivative of the name `Vijaypura `or city of victory as it was originally called. Bijapur experienced the reign of a number of dynasties, including the Yadavas of Devagiri, Khalji dynasty in the thirteenth century, the Bahmani sultanate, Mughal dynasty, Nizams of Hyderabad, the Marathas and the British. After independence, it was briefly a part of Mumbai before being added to the state of Karnataka in 1956.The city reached its greatest heights under the rulers of the Adil Shahi dynasty of Bijapur, particularly, Yusuf Adil Shah, the founder of the independent state of Bijapur.

Geography of Bijapur
The city of Bijapur lies at the central region of the Bijapur district. As far as the climate is concerned, the summers are quite hot, especially the months of April and May. Lying in the Deccan Plateau region the summers are usually dry as well. The monsoon ushers in generally in the month of June and stays till October. The average annual rainfall received by Bijapur is 552.8 mm.

Education in Bijapur
The district of Bijapur is known for its high literacy rate. This fact is apparent from the host of educational institutes that are scattered in the city of Bijapur. Besides the usual schools and colleges, there are engineering colleges and medical colleges. There are a number of Ayurvedic and Allopathic medical colleges here. Besides these an educational institute for Unani medicine is also to be found here.

Tourism in Bijapur
Bijapur offers a number of places of tourist attraction as it bears a long legacy of dynastic rule. The period of greatest architectural and artistic development was in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries. A number of mosques, mausoleums, palaces and fortifications are still to be seen in Bijapur. By far the greatest tourist attraction here is the Gol Gumbaz, the tomb of the ruler Mohammad Adil Shah .It is a grand tomb built with elaborate grandeur and containing the second largest tomb ever made. Also of note here are the various palaces or mahals such as the Asar Mahal, the Gagan Mahal, Anand Mahal, Saat manzli, Chini Mahal etc. The ruins of the ancient fort here, built by the Adil Shahis, are also a sight to behold here. Other monuments include the Malik-e-Maidan, Landa Kasab, the Hathi Khana, Mehtar Mahal etc.

Since Bijapur was chiefly under the rule of Islamic rulers, the sites of religious interest include mainly Muslim places of worship. Most famous tourist spots include the Jami Masjid, Jhanjiri Masjid, Andu mosque, Mecca masjid, the Sikander Rauza, the Ibrahim Rauza etc. Bijapur is also home to famous temples like Siddeshwara and Shri Prasanna Ganesh.The remains of some temples are also found within the fort.

Other places of tourist interest such as Aihole and Pattadakal, Gulbarga, Badami etc can also be reached from here.

How to Reach Bijapur
Air- The nearest airport is Belgaum (205 kms.).

Rail- Bijapur is connected by rail to Bengaluru, Mumbai, (via Sholapur), Sholapur (via Gadag) and Vasco da Gama (via Hubli and Londa).

Road- Karnataka State Road Transport Corporation buses ply from Bijapur to Badami, Bengaluru, Belgaum, Hubli and Sholapur.

Bijapur is connected by road to- Aihole (129 kms), Mumbai (486 kms), Badami(132 kms), Hampi (254 kms), Bengaluru (81 kms), Pattadakal (148 kms) and Belgaum (205 kms).