In 1428 The Bahmani sultanate broke up into five small kingdoms. Already around 1427 the Bahmani dynasty shifted its seat from Gulbarga to Bidar. Thus Bidar became the capital of the Bahmani sultanate until it was conquered in 1619 by the Bijapur sultanate and finally became part of the Mughal empire in 1657.

Most important sights in or around Bidar are the fort and the tombs of the Bahmani kings at Ashtur about 3km out of town.

During the Bahmani rule the fort underwent extensive building measures: The mosque, palace and palace gardens date from that time. The old fort was surrounded by an impressive triple moat that was hewn out of solid rock. Its defensive walls have a length of nearly 6km - what makes it the second longest of its kind in India.

The Bahmani tombs at Ashtur about 3km east of Bidar are lined up along a small road.

Even today some of the tombs are cared for every day. They are draped in cloth and flowers and prayers are held. This and the solitude of the tombs adds a special atmosphere to this place.

Though most of the tombs have seen better days, at some the interior paintings or blue colored tiles on the outside are preserved and give an idea of the former splendour of this site.