Ahmedabad attractions

When Ahmad Shah I founded Ahmedabad as the new capital of the Gujarat Sultanate in 1411, he built Bhadra Fort to fortify the city. The former site of a medieval court and a British colonial jail, the fort was fully renovated in 2014 and remains one of the modern city’s great landmarks—a squat fortress with Indo-Saracenic-style arches, balconies, and latticework.

Ahmed Shah’s Mosque—also known as Shahi Jam-e-Masjid Bhadra and Juni Juma Masjid—is one of Ahmedabad’s oldest mosques, built in the early 15th century in the city’s original walled area. It reflects a Gujarati Islamic style of architecture that developed independently of the dominant strands in Mughal Delhi, with Hindu and Jain influences, too.

The Auto World Vintage Car Museum, located on the eastern outskirts of Ahmedabad, houses a large collection of classic automobiles, some from the early 20th century. Set in a crenelated building, which resembles a castle on a large private estate, the museums’ collection was once privately owned by local automobile enthusiast Pranlal Bhogilal. Car fans won’t want to miss this niche-interest museum if visiting Ahmedabad.

Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, Indian freedom fighter and the first Deputy Prime Minister of the independent nation, hailed from Gujarat and the state is immensely proud of his work and legacy. Ahmedabad’s Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel National Memorial is a museum and exhibition center dedicated to him, housed in an elegant 17th-century Mughal palace, the Moti Shahi Mahal.

On the outskirts of central Ahmedabad, Dada Harir Stepwell (Bai Harir Vav) was built in 1499 by a supervisor of Sultan Mahmud Begada’s harem; Sanskrit and Persian inscriptions say that a royal midwife of Begada’s household named Halima commissioned the stepwell, and a mosque and tomb alongside it. The steps lead to an often dry well, while Halima’s tomb features elegant carved lattice screens called jali.

Built by a Gujarat Sultan to unify rival states through a marriage pact, Delhi Darwaja (Delhi Gate) is the oldest and longest of the gates marking the boundaries of the walled old city of Ahmedabad. It is one of Ahmedabad’s most historic landmarks, which is today typically lined with traffic, street food vendors, and market stalls.

This bridge over the Sabarmati River was officially renamed Swami Vivekananda Bridge in 1997, yet locals still refer to it by its original name, Ellis Bridge. It’s undergone renovation several times since its British colonial-era construction, and remains a symbol of Ahmedabad’s transformation over the years, linking the old city with newer developments on the west side of the river.