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Ahmad I
This ruler was responsible for shifting the Bahmani capital from Gulbarga to Bidar. His early 15th century tomb shows him to be a great patron of art and architecture. Its walls have three rows of arched recesses, seven on the top, and four on the middle and lower rows. The crenellated parapet has corner finials. This scheme is repeated on the 16-sided drum at the base of the dome. The inside walls and ceiling of the tomb are decorated with gold, vermilion, and turquoise painted arabesques and calligraphy. The paintings, as well as the style of the architectural elements, pointed arches, for example, are of obvious Persian inspiration.