Jama Masjid
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.
Ahmed Shah Tombs
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 & Darwaja
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.
Hathesing Temple
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 temples in Ahmedabad.
Raj Babri Mosque
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.
Jhulta Minar
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.
Rani Sipri Mosque in Ahmedabad City
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.
Rani Rupmati Mosque
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.
Kankaria Lake
Kankaria Lake is another tourist attraction of Ahmedabad. The Kankaria Lake is a circular lake constructed in AD 1451 by Sultan Qutub-ud-din. Amongst the places to be visited in the lake is the island garden at its centre with a summer palace known as Nagina Wadi. Lush green parks, an aquarium, a boat club, a natural historical museum, and a zoo surrounding the park make the lake a place to be seen in Ahmedabad. The 'Bal Vatika' or the children's park makes it a great picnic spot and attracts tourists and localities from Ahmedabad alike.
