It is by far one of the most remarkable artistic achievements of the Adil Shahi dynasty, who established a Sunni Sultanate in Bijapur in the 15th century and ruled for almost two hundred years.

[citation needed] The term was then adopted in Iran for the mausolea of Sufi saints and became significantly popular during the Ilkhanid period.

[citation needed] Afterwards, the term reached India under Persian influence and became used for most Islamic funerary structures, not limited to Sufi shrines.

Ibrahim Adil Shah II, the sultan this complex was named after, was one of the great patrons of art and architecture in Bijapur.

[7] Moreover, Taj Sultana's son, Muhammad, eventually reached the throne at the age of fourteen, after a fierce rivalry with his half-brother.

His name was Malik Sandal, an Abyssinian eunuch who rose up the military ranks and became a prominent figure in Ibrahim Adil Shah's court.

[8][6] Malik Sandal was thought to be involved in designing the complex, although recent scholarship has positioned him as only the overseer of the project or the "sar-i kar".

[7] The overall space is contained by an almost square wall dotted with cells including residential rooms, a kitchen and a storeroom, surrounding the main features of the complex, which are the mausoleum and the mosque.

The mosque, which is located on the right side for the viewer entering the complex from the outer gate, is of a hypostyle plan with three rows of arcades in the prayer hall, each consisting of five bays.

The mausoleum, on the other hand, consists of a rectangular structure, surrounded by two concentric rectangles of pillars forming a double veranda.

All of these elements were finely carved in stone, showing exquisite craftsmanship.Under the hanging eaves, the arcades lead to a double veranda, where the inner one is topped by a flat roof.

The pillars leading to the inner veranda are rectangular, their shafts are highly decorated with floral carvings and their capitals show a curvilinear design.

The window tympanums show magnificent calligraphic carved stone screens, which are reminiscent of the iconic Indian Jali, making them a distinct innovation.

[10][11][12][13][14] Inside the burial chamber lie six stone cenotaphs of Ibrahim Adil Shah II and his family members including his wife Taj Sultana; the patron of the complex.

The outer appearance of the mosque shares many features with the mausoleum including the dome, the four slender minarets, the turrets and the ornate crenelations.

[15] The Ibrahim Rauza complex bears a series of water structures including a cistern, a trough, feeder channels and, most prominently, a fountain between the mosque and the mausoleum.