Bidar Fort Bidar Fort ( Kannada ಬೀದರ್ ಕೋಟೆ ) is situated in Bidar district of the northern plateau of Karanataka , India . Sultan Alla - Ud - Din Bahman of the Bahmanid Dynasty shifted his capital from Gulbarga to Bidar in 1427 and built his fort along with a number of Islamic monuments . Bidriware is a very popular handicraft , an art form with 800 years history with linkage to the Persian art , from which it evolved during the rule of the Bahamani Sultan s . During 2008 , Bidriware , as one of the important exported handicrafts from India , was awarded the Geographical Indication ( G . I ) authorized user status which is exclusive to the artisans resident in the Karnataka region only . Geography . The fort , the town and the district are all affixed with the name Bidar . The town and the fort are located on the edge of an oblong shaped plateau , which measures in length and in width at its broadest , encompassing a total area of . The ancient capital " Kalyani " ( Basavakalyan ) of Kalyani Chalukya is situated about to the west of Bidar . The Bidar town and the surrounding terrain in the district are drained by the Karanja River , a tributary of Manjira River , which in turn is a major tributary of the Godavari River . Climate is salubrious throughout the year , even during the months of April and May in summer , sharp and sudden thunder showers cools the place . By early June the south - west monsoon dominates adding to the pleasant weather of the place . Winter is also a pleasant season . The city and the villages in its vicinity have a rich heritage of historical monuments and legends . History . The history of the present fort at Bidar is attributed to the Sultan Ala - ud - Din Bahman Shah the first sultan of the Bahmani dynasty to 1427 when he shifted his capital from Gulbarga to Bidar since it had better climatic conditions and was also a fertile and fruit bearing land . Earliest recorded history of its existence as a small and strong fort is also traced to the first Muslim invasion of the region is traced to Prince Ulugh Khan in 1322 , whereafter it came under the reign of the Tughlaq dynasty . With the establishment of the Bahmani dyanasty ( 1347 ) , Bidar was occupied by Sultan Alla - Ud - Din Bahman Shah Bahmani . During the rule of Ahmad Shah I ( 1422 – 1486 ) , Bidar was made the capital city of Bahmani Kingdom . The old Fort was rebuilt and beautiful madrasas , mosques , palaces and gardens were raised . Mahmmad Gawan who became the Prime Minister in 1466 was a notable figure in the history of Bidar . Bidar remained under the Barid Shahi dynasty until it was captured by the Mughal emperor Aurangazeb in 1656 A . D . In 1724 , Bidar became a part of the Asaf Jahi Kingdom of the Nizams . It was annexed by the Bijapur Sultanate in 1619 – 20 but the Mughal viceroy of Aurangzeb took it in 1657 and thus became a part the Mughal Empire in 1686 . Third son of Asaf jah l ( Nizam l ) Nawab Said Mohammed Khan Asaf ud Daula ( Salabath Jung ) ruled from Bidar fort from 1751 to 1762 till his Brother Mir Nizam Ali Khan Asaf Jah III Imprisoned him in this fort , and was killed in Bidar fort in 16 September 1763 . Mohammedabad old name of Bidar is also on his name . Thus , Bahmanis ruled over Gulbaraga from 1347 to 1424 and from Bidar from 1424 till the extinction of the kingdom and its disintegration into five independent and warring kingdoms of Bijapur , Golconda , Ahmadnagar , Bidar and Berar . After India ' s independence , in 1956 when Bidar became part of Mysore ( now Karnataka ) state . Structure . With the establishment of the Bahmani Kingdom in the Deccan from 1347 , the architectural styles of the Persian architecture of Iran made impressive and lasting impacts , which are seen in the Bidar Fort . The mosques , arches , gardens and the palaces were built within and also outside the fort in the Bidar town . Some of the important structures built are elaborated . The influence of Persian culture was distinct in Bidar in the Deccan , during 15th and 16th centuries . The Bidar fort , constructed on the edge of the plateau , has a haphazard quadrangular layout plan of in length and breadth . The peripheral length of the fort walls measure . The walls , bastions , gates and barbicans of Bidar , though in ruins , are well preserved and considered as some of the most stylish in India . It is surrounded by a triple moat . There are seven gates in the fort . The dominant main gate exhibits Persian style architecture . The ‘ Gumbad Darwaza ’ depicts arches with stilted size , also in Persian style . The ‘ Sherza Darwaza ’ of Bidar Fort , the second gate of entry , depicts two images of tigers carved on its fascia ; according to Shia belief , the tiger decorations are indicative of Ali who was also known as Asadullah - Al Ghalib that assured protection to the building from enemy attack . The other gates are the Fateh Gate on the south ( has octagonal towers and drawbridge ) ; the Talghat Gate in the east ; the Delhi Gate and the Mandu Gate . The prominent bastion at the entry is known as the ’ Munda Burj ’ with guns positioned on it . It is said that the Bahmani Sultanate claimed lineage of the Sasanians and the motifs on their buildings , particularly the crowns of the arches that they built depicted a crescent and occasionally a disk that was closely reminiscent of the crowns of the Sassanian emperors . The Madrasa or the Islamic school was built by Khwaza Mahmud Gawan , the Persian scholar , the General and the Prime Minister in the court of Mohamad Shah III . Mahmud Gawan was a native of Gillan in Iran . It has been built in distinct Persian architectural style . Gawan had invited architects and engineers from Persia and other middle east countries to build the edifices in the fort ( this is inferred from a collection of letters under the title " Riyad al - Insha " written by Gawan to build his madrasa ) . The madrasa has its parallel in the Madrasa of Kharghid near Meshhed . The madrasa is a three storied building with a quadrangular plan with towering minarets ; it is unlike the Indian minarets in that the first and second floors have balconies that project from the main structure and have curvilinear forms without any bracket support . The fascia has a strip of coloured chevron tile work on the parapet in a cusped pattern , in typical Persian style . The bulbous domes are , however , in the Timurind style . In 1696 , the madrasa was damaged by lightning . When it was housed the cavary barracks and powder magazine , it was subject to more damage . Even in the present ruined state , the madaras looks an impressive edicifce . Bidar has two prominent mosques – the spacious ' Jami Masjid ' ( the " Great Mosque " ) and the ' Solah Khamba Masjid ' ( 16 pillared mosque ) with a notable dome built on a 16 - sided drum . Jami Masjid , a large mosque , is without minarets or prominent domes . The mosque though simple in design but has a symmetrical plan with well organized constituent parts . Solah Khamba Mosque in the fort was built in 1327 . Its long prayer hall has nineteen passageways ; each passage is five compartments deep . In plan , the mosque measures x . The main prayer hall is supported by 18 piers ; the other areas of the mosque are supported by 60 round piers . All the piers support a roof which has 84 domes . The domes are flat with features of pendentives . Massive circular columns supporting the structure are fashioned with leafy motifs at the top . The Mihrab ( prayer niche ) located on the rear wall is enclosed by a cusped arch . The bays form a large chamber in the entrance . Squinches support the dome with braces designed as elephant trunks . The outer arcade lacks any original features , the parapet of pierced interlocking battlements were a later addition . The main dome has flattish shape and is supported on a circular drum , which is embellished with relief of trefoil crenellations . < ref name = Michell < / ref > < / ref > The Gagan Mahal ( Public Audience Hall ) or palace in Persian architectural style has glazed mosaics and has an approach with arresting black granite steps interlaid with red sandstone . It has stilted arches . There are two outlines on each of the eastern and northern facades . Persian emblems of the Lion along with the raising Sun in the background flank the arches on both sides . They are all in mosaic of beautiful coloured tiles . The Rangin Mahal ( " Painted Palace " ) built by Ali Barid Shah has impressive arabesque designs with display of the art of Quranic calligraphy . The zenana palace depicts bright painted murals . Other impressive structures seen , also built in exquisite Persian style , are the Lal Bagh , the Takhat Mahal ( the throne room ) , the Chaubara and the Watch Tower . Beyond the fort ' s limits , on the east , domed tombs of eight Bahmanī kings are located , while to the west lies the royal necropolis of the Barīd sultans . Handicraft of Bidar . Bidriware , popularly known as " A Magic in Black and Silver " is a delicate metal ware containing silver and gold inlaid on iron . It is a very popular art form of over 800 year vintage art form of Persia promoted in Bidar with specific link to the foundation soils contained in the forts precincts . This art is exported to other countries . Zinc and copper are the basic metals used to make this handicraft . The design patterns are inlaid on pure silver wire or thin sheets . They are normally " damascened ( ornamented with wavy lines ) in floral and geometric designs " . Another important ingredient in making this handicraft , made by highly skilled labour , is the soil from the basement of ancient buildings inside the Bidar Fort . It is claimed that this soil gives a lustrous black colour to the Bidriware because such soil has not been exposed to rain or sunlight for centuries . In view of high skill and special materials used in its manufacture it is possible to make it only as a handicraft . Access . Bidar is well connected by road , rail and air links . Bidar town is situated about north of Bangalore India on NH 7 ) , northeast of Gulbarga and ( NH 9 from Bangalore Via Gulbarga and Bellary Nearest airport is the BIDAR Airport and also BIAL , BANGALORE . Bidar Fort is only 115 km from Miyapur , Hyderabad . In Popular Culture . The song " Ishq Sufiyaana " from the hit Bollywood film of 2011 , The Dirty Picture was shot in the Bidar Fort . The song had sequences in the fort with Vidya Balan and Emraan Hashmi .