Located in the centre of the old city, this congregational mosque was built by Sultan Ahmed Shah in 1423. Built in yellow sandstone, it combines the best of Hindu and Muslim styles of architecture, standing on 260 pillars supporting 15 domes at varying elevations It is described as the most beautiful mosque in India. The vast paved courtyard is a rectangle nearly seventy-five metres by sixty-six metres.The whole of the western chamber is a big hall, standing on 260 pillars all carved from Hindu and Jain traditions.The central courtyard is accessible from the East, though there are three ways on the other side too. The Eastern side entrance leads to another enclosure containing the mausoleum of Sultan Ahmed Shah.

The tomb of Ahmed Shah, with its perforated stone windows, stands just outside the east gate of the Jama Masjid. His son and grandson, who did not long survive him, also have their cenotaphs in this tomb. Women are not allowed into the central chamber. Across the street on a raised platform is the tomb of his queens - it's now really a market and in very poor shape compared to Ahmed Shah's tomb.
 

Bhadra Fort was built by the city's founder, Ahmed Shah, in 1411 and later named after the goddess Bhadra, an incarnation of Kali. There were royal palaces and a garden inside the fort. It now houses government offices. To the east of the fort stands the triple gateway or Teen Darwaja, from which sultans used to watch processions from the palace to the Jama Masjid. The royal entrance is triple arched and richly carved.
 

This elegant mosque is noted for its twin windows of pierced stone, worked in style of a tree with palm leaves and curving tendrils. A superb and peerless example of delicate carving that transforms stone into filigree. It was constructed by Sidi Saiyad, a slave of Ahmed Shah, and has beautiful carved stone windows depicting the intricate intertwining of the branches of a tree. Wooden models of these windows, a fine example of Indo-Sarcenic architecture are kept in the New York and Kensington museums.
 

A rich Jain merchant built this temple outside Delhi Gate in 1850. It is built of pure white marble and profusely decorated with rich carvings, dedicated to Dharamnath, the 15th Jina or Jain apostle.

Embellished with intricate carvings and built in white marble, the Hatheesing Jain temple is one of the best ornate Jain temple in Ahmedabad.

This temple was built in the nineteenth century by a rich Jain merchant. This profusely decorated temple is dedicated to 15th Jain tirthankar or Jain Apostle- Dharmnath. Built outside Delhi Gate by Sheth Hatheesing, this is the best known of Ahmedabad's many ornate Jain Temples. Built of pure white marble, it has a paved courtyard surrounded by an imposing row of cloisters containing 52 shrines, each with an image of a tirthankara, profusely decorated with rich carvings, one containing the marble image of the 15th tirthankar. The temple is a two-storied structure with elaborate porches on three sides and front porch crowned by a large dome. It was designed by Premchand Salat and is dedicated to Dharmanath, the fifteenth Jina or Jain apostle. It was built at a cost of Rs 10 Lakhs, a sum unimaginable in those days. Built outside Ahmedabads' Delhi Gate.

The Raj Babri Mosque, south-east of the railway in the suburb of Gomtipur, also has shaking minarets. The Roza of Sarkhej, in a suburb of Ahmedabad, contains the tomb of the Sultan Mahmud Begado. The adjoining tomb of Ahmed Khattu Gang Baksh, a Muslim saint, who helped Ahmed Shah to build the city of Ahmedabad, has a great central dome and a shrine with finely carved brass lattice work.

The Roza of Shah Alam is another monument built in memory of the equally important Muslim saint, Shah Alam. The Roza is supposed to have been built by the brother of the Moghul empress, Noor Jahan, the consort of Jahangir. The complex of the Roza is said to contain the Footprints of the Prohpet, in marble.

One of the most popular monuments in Ahemdabad is the Sidi Bashirs mosque, out side the Sarangpur gate, known as the mosque with shaking minarets or Jhulta minars. Each minaret of the mosque has three storeys, girdled by carved stone balconies, balanced and delicate. The style is a complete innovation. The master craftsmen of the period managed to design them in such a way that they respond to vibration is communicated to the other via a stone bridge joining both .The massive earth quake of 2001 had an impact on the monument.
 

This is quite an unusual structure. Jhulta Minara or swaying minarets are a part of the mosque of Siddi Bashir and can be swayed by applying a little force at the topmost arch. One of the minarets was partly demolished by an Englishman in his endeavours to unravel the mystery of the swaying minarets. The mosque was obviously built by master craftsmen and the crucial mechanism that causes the vibration is still a mystery. The other interesting fact here is that these minars stand the test of the rumbling trains that pass not very far away from them.

Dating from 1414, this was one of the earliest mosques in the city and was probably built on the site of a Hindu temple, using parts of that temple in its construction. 1t is to the south-west of the Bhadra Fort. The front of the mosque is now a garden

A little south-east of the centre this small mosque was built in 1514 and is also known as the Masjid-e-Nagira or 'jewel of a mosque' due to its extremely graceful and well executed design. Its slender, delicate minarets are again a blend of Hindu and Islamic styles.The mosque is said to have been built by a wife of Sultan Mehmood Begada after he executed their son for some minor misdemeanour.

Named after the Hindu wife of Sultan Mehmed Beghara, this mosque was built between 1430 to 1440 A. D. having three domes supported by pillars with the central dome slightly elevated to allow natural light into the mosque. The tomb of Rani Rupmati is next to it. Rani Rupmati Masjid named for the princess of Dhar who married the Sultan of Ahmedabad, is another fine example of the Indo-Sarcenic blended style.

Ahmedabad houses one of the finest textile museums in the world in one of Gujarat's famous carved wooden havelis. The museum displays a magnificent collection of rare textiles dating back to the 17th century. There is also an excellent reference library on textiles. Located in the Sarabhai Foundation, in Shahibagh the Calico Museum of Textiles, widely regarded as one of the finest textile museums in the world was constructed in 1949 AD.

It has the finest collection of not just textiles and clothes but also furniture, temple artifacts and crafts in the country. It has no less than five centuries of the finest fabrics spun, woven, printed and painted in different parts of India. It has a collection of marble, sandstone and bronze icons and busts split in two thematic sections- gallery for religious textiles and historical textiles An excellent reference library on textiles is found here.There are colourful embroidered wall hangings depicting Krishna legends hanging from the second floor right to the ground level. Cloth decorated with tie- dye, glinting mirror work, screen prints, block prints and intricate embroidery are also seen. There is an embroidered tent and the robes of Shah Jahan, along with elaborate carpets and plump cushions that once furnished Muslim palaces.

The Jain section features statues housed in a replica Haveli Temple, along with centuries-old manuscripts and 'mandalas' painted on palm leaves.

Among exhibits are Kashmiri shawls, Kullu embroidery, glittering silk brocades from Varanasi, folk art from the Punjab and masks and large wooden temple cars (processional vehicles) from Tamil Nadu. Tribal crafts such as, Kachchhi silk and cotton 'mashru' weaving are displayed in spectacular wooden 'havelis' from Patna and Siddhpur. There are clear and labelled models and diagrams explaining the weaving, dyeing and embroidery processes. The collection also includes some of the best examples of the Patola saris woven in Patan as well as the extravagant Zari work that gilds saris in heavy gold stitching which weigh almost nine kilos.

About 19 kms north of Ahmedabad this stepwell is an architectural wonder built by Queen Rudabai and is certainly one of the finest monuments of Gujarat. It is a seven-storied structure in the form of a well with chambers one behind the other. The ‘Vavs’ or stepped wells of Gujarat were used as meeting and resting-places during summer since their cool interiors offered unbelievable respite from the scorching sun outside.

There is an inscription in Sanskrit, which gives the entire history with exact dates. Stepwell perhaps is a unique feature of Gujarat, which speaks of the history, culture, and architecture. It was also considered to be a religious obligation. Kings, rulers, umraos and the rich people of Gujarat spent huge money for constructing these. These step wells used to be frequented by travellers and caravans as stopovers along their trade routes. A unique characteristic of step wells was that they not only conserved water but were also cool chambers where one could rest during hot summer months. In times of drought and scarcity these wells were of great use to common man.

The 'Vav', laid out in the north-south direction, the stepwell with the well in the north and the entrance in the south, has a total length of 75.3 metres. It is the only major monument of its kind, having three entrance stairs leading to the stepped corridor. The stepwell has five storeys and three gates to enter in. It is full of artistic sculptures. The platform rests on 16 pillars, eight on the corners, and two in front of each main side. Four built-in shrines, with doors, windows and balconies, mark the four corners of the platform. The stepped corridor begins from this square platform. The corridor is entirely surrounded by a one-metre high parapet wall with a rounded topping. It descends with four pavilion towers for five storeys. The walls of the 'Vav' are veritable showcases of sculptures and ornamentation.

The stepwell at Adalaj has been preserved by the archaeological department and developed into as a tourist spot. It provides a cool and secluded retreat during the hot summer months. The construction of a stepwell reflected the artistic sense of its promoter. There are hundreds of stepwells in Gujarat, each being unique in its construction. Most of them are simple. The prime purpose behind them could be to serve the people. These step wells attract lots of tourists every year. The carvings, construction and the architecture amaze many experts, since it was built during those days when sophisticated and meticulous engineering techniques had not developed upto the recent standards.

The Sarkhej Roza is an graceful architectural creation amazing for the use of pierced stone trellises and complete absence of arches. Sarkhej Roza, the tombs of Saint Ahmed Khattu Baksh and that of Emperor Mehmud Shah Beguda and his queen. The diplomatic atmosphere makes it an ideal retreat. Sarkhej (about 10 kms. southwest of Ahmedabad) is noted for its stylish group of buildings, including the Mausoleum of Azam and Mu'assam, who were responsible for Sarkhej's architecture.

The architecture here is attractive because the style is almost wholly Hindu, with little of the Saracenic pressure so evident in Ahmedabad. As you go into Sarkhej, you pass the Mausoleum of Mahmud Begara and, beside the tank and connected to his tomb, that of his queen, Rajabai. Also by the tank is the Tomb of Ahmad Khattu Ganj Buksh, a renewed Muslim saint and spiritual adviser to Ahmed Shah. He was the revered saint whose blessings were invoked while origin Ahmedabad. The palace, with pavilions and a harem, is also around the tank.

The Roza of Sarkhej is very well-known. The architecture of the Roza is so attractive and the history of Roza is related with Ahmedabad. The main and big roza of Saint Ahmed Khatu Ganjbux is in the middle of the complex. There are attractive carvings on the walls and tombs. Traceries have been carved out in marble stones. The sunlight reflections create beautiful pictures. The buildings are remarkable for the complete absence of arches and the use of pierced stone trellises.