Bidar, Aug 29: Dr. Abdul Qadeer, Chairman and Founder of the Shaheen Group of Institutions, has officially signed an MoU with the Archaeological Survey of India to adopt the Mahmud Gawan Madrasa.
According to the history display board by the Superintending Archaeologist, The Mahmud Gawan Madrasa, located in Bidar, Karnataka, is a distinguished example of Bahamani architecture with Persian influences. Constructed in 1472CE by Khwaja Mahmud Gawan, Persian prime minister of the Bahamani Sultanate during the reign of Muhammad Shah III (1463-1482), the madrasa was a prominent educational institution of its time. It functioned as a residential university, modeled on the Madrasa of Khurasan, and accommodated around 1,000 students. The institution offered education in various subjects, including theology, philosophy, astronomy, mathematics, Arabic, and Persian. It also boasted a library with over 3,000 manuscripts, alongside a mosque, lecture halls, and living quarters for both professors and students, attracting scholars from across the world.
Architecturally, the madrasa is a three-storied building with a conventional quadrangular layout and semi-octagonal projections crowned by bulbous domes. The main entrance is flanked by two imposing three-stage minarets. The facade is adorned with multi-colored tiles in green, yellow, and white, featuring intricate designs, arabesques, and Quranic verses.
Despite suffering damage from an explosion of gunpowder in 1695, the madrasa retains much of its original architectural grandeur. Although the library was destroyed, the building remains a unique cultural and architectural landmark in India.
Since 1914, the madrasa has been managed by the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI). It stands as a testament to Mahmud Gawan’s scholarly cultural contributions, with its architecture reflecting the influences of Persian madrasas and showcasing Gawan’s enduring legacy.
