The Whispering Gallery of Gol Gumbaz
Whisper against the wall of a great dome in Bijapur, and someone on the far side, almost 40 metres away, can hear every word.
What was reported
Gol Gumbaz, the tomb of Sultan Mohammed Adil Shah in Vijayapura, was completed in 1656. Its dome is one of the largest in the world built without pillars inside.
Around the base of the dome runs a narrow gallery. A whisper or the tick of a watch on one side can be heard clearly on the opposite side, and a clap or shout echoes many times. Visitors fill it with noise every day to try it.
Explanations offered
It is an acoustic effect, also found in St Paul's Cathedral in London. Sound waves cling to the smooth curved wall and travel around it with little loss, so a whisper arrives clearly on the far side. The dome's shape also makes sounds echo repeatedly.
- When
- Completed in 1656
- Where
- Vijayapura (Bijapur), Karnataka, India
- Witnesses
- Visitors every day
- Status
- Explained
Famous cases are real, widely reported events. Each file sets out what witnesses said and the explanations that have been offered, without taking a side.