Bijapur
Bijapur is littered with Adil Shahi monuments that most visitors rush past en route to Gol Gumbaz — and they're missing a lot. The Jod Gumbaz (twin domed tombs), the haunting ruins of Bara Kaman (planned as the world's largest mausoleum but left unfinished after the sultan's death), and the Asar Mahal with its remarkable frescoes together form a fascinating secondary circuit through the old city that reveals the empire's extraordinary creative ambition.
Hire an auto-rickshaw for the full Bijapur monument circuit — they know all the lanes, and the distances between sites are too far to walk comfortably in the heat.