Bidar, one of the great medieval cities of India, could easily be called the Samarkand of South. Steeped in history, Bidar is famous for its ancient monuments and impressive ruins of the Bahmani and Barid Shahi dynasties. In the epic literature, the city was the romantic haunt of Nala and Damayanti, whose love tale has been immortalised by Faizi, the poet minister of Emperor Akbar. This city was then known as Vidura Nagar, which in course of time came to be called as Bidar.

Historically, Bidar has a chequered past. It was once a part of later Chalukyas and Rashtrakutas. The first independent Muslim ruler of the Deccan was Aliauddin Hassan Bahmani, who established the Bahmani dynasty at Gulbarga. It was during the reign of Ahmad Shah I that the seat of Bahmani kingdom was shifted to Bidar in 1422 AD, which marked the starting period of architectural development of an original character. The new capital was adorned with edifices and magnificent buildings. The various dynasties that ruled Bidar for nearly two centuries have left numerous architectural monuments. They clearly mark a tendency to combine Persian and indigenous ideas of construction and design.

The most interesting monuments of Bidar are the historic old fort and the new fort. The old fort is believed to have been built during the Chalukyan rule when it was used as a military outpost. The new fortress was constructed by Sultan Ahmed Shah I during the 15th century. It is remarkable in some of its constructional features and is a magnificent structure with colossal ramparts, bastions, covered secret passages, powder magazines and huge gates designed to make the fort impregnable against the armaments of those days.
The fort is surrounded by a wall with glacis and a triple moat of intricate design, carved out of solid rock. Of the five darwazas or gates of the fort, Sharza Darwaza commands the main entrance and housed a music gallery to play ceremonial music. The Gumbad Darwaza is typical of contemporary Tughlaq architecture. The forts are designed to mount large guns at strategic points.

Within the fort are the ruins of a number of mahals or palaces. Rangeen Mahal or the Painted Palace, built out of polished black stone, is decorated with coloured tiles. The Shahi Hamam or Royal Bath has been converted into a museum now, where some remarkable sculptures of the Hindu period can be seen. The sixteen-columned prayer hall, popularly known as Solah Kambha Masjid, is the oldest building in Bidar and one among the largest in India. Turkish Mahal was the apartment for ladies. The Gagan Mahal or the Heavenly Palace was once a palace for the Bahmani kings. The entire hall originally appears to have had a ceiling of wood and mortar. At present, only the granite base and pillars remain.

The Takht Mahal or the Throne Palace was used as a durbar hall, where the installation ceremonies of the Bahmani and Barid Sultans were celebrated. Only the arches remain at present, which indicate the height and width of the dome that once adorned the monument. The Cheeni Mahal was sculptured with coloured tiles.
The most significant monument in Bidar city is the madarasa or the College of the Persian Model, created by Khwaja Mohammed Gawan in 1472 AD. It was a vast structure in the old city, having a huge base with lofty towers at the eastern face. The walls were adorned with enamelled tiles in attractive designs. It housed a 100 scholars and more than 3,000 rare manuscripts, thus creating a centre of university.

The imposing front edifice was demolished by lightning in 1695 and only the 30-metre-high minaret to the north escaped destruction. Mohammed Gawan, a trader from Persia, came here and became Bahmani's premier by virtue of his military might and administrative skills. At the ripe age of 78, he was murdered by Mohammed Shah III. The shadow of a mango and a neem tree offer shade to Gawan's grave site in Gurnalli, a village 3 km from Bidar, symbolising the sweetness of his life and the bitter end he faced. Local Muslims pay homage at his grave and remember him as Makhtum Basha. The tomb of Ali Barid illustrates the dome building of the early 15th century. The tomb of Ahmad Shah with beautifully painted, gem studded ceilings and walls and with outdoor tile work is yet another example of the glorious Persian architecture. The two pyramid-like tombs of the later Bahmani kings, Waliullah and Kalimullah, take the tourists to the land of the Pharaohs.

Bidar, the city of water springs, is also known for the Narasimha Jheera. The only subterranean stream in Karnataka, it is 91 meters long. Pilgrims wade through neck deep water before having the darshan of Lord Narasimha. A little away from the tombs the Sikhs have built an imposing Gurudwara here, marking Guru Nanak's visit to Bidar.