5. DOORS OF BIJAPUR Series - 2. MECCA DARWAZA (West Gateway)
2. MECCA DARWAZA (West Gate) Location - Beside Taj Bawdi (inside the Government School Campus), Godbole Mala, Vijayapura The Mecca Darwaza has the most unique design among all the doors/ Gateways of Bijapur (Vijayapura) City as it has a big courtyard inside the Doorway. This gate is also the Largest in Size among all the 5 main City Gates. As the name suggests, the building faces West and travellers coming from or going to West, especially Arabia (for Pilgrimage and trade purposes), used this Darwaza. The speciality of the door is that it has a water fountain right infront of it's entrance, which no other Doorway or Gateway in Bijapur (or even Deccan, and most Probably in Whole India) has! The fountain is still in place but it's water systems have got damaged! It's very strange and mind blowing that the Darwaza and the City wall are surrounded by a water filled moat, and still there exists a water fountain right infront of the Darwaza! Guess how these Darwazas were accessed...