City Center Highlights

Rani no Hajiro also known as Mughalai Bibi's
Tomb or Tombs of Ahmed Shah's Queens was built-in
1445. The walls have beautifully carved stone screens and
the courtyard has 8 carved marble tombs of queens
of Ahmed Shah I and other Gujarat Sultanate rulers. The
main tomb belongs to Mughalai Bibi, mother of Mahmud
Begada and the wife of Muhammad Shah II carved in
white marble. The tombs are covered with beautiful
rich brocade works, the textile style that developed during
rule of Ahmed Shah I. The intricate stonework and carving
is a mixture of Hindu, Jain, and Islamic architectural styles.

Raja no Hajiro or Badshah no Hajiro is a kings mausoleum
and has a group of tombs. The famous Ahmed shah’s tomb is
situated in Manek Chowk area close to Jumma Masjid and
opposite to Rani no Hajiro. The mosque consists of tomb of
Ahmed Shah I, the founder of Ahmedabad city. The
mosque was completed by his son Muhammad shah in
1414 and who is buried to his left. The grandson of
Ahmed shah Qutud-Din Shah is buried to his right. Being a
multi-culture space we can see the influence of Hindu culture in
its practices like oil lamp practice. The mosque has a main
square building with a central dome and four chambers at
four corners with small domes. It has beautifully carved

The Jumma Masjid also known as Friday mosque was
erected by Ahmed Shah 1 (A.D. 1411- 1441) in 1424. It
has three side entrances portico on eastern, northern and
southern side. The pillars of the prayer hall entrance have
beautifully carved motifs influenced by different cultures
of the city like lotus flowers. The prayer room is a
rectangular space with four domes. It has 260 pillars and
15 domes. It has a wide-open courtyard, marble ooring,
walls painted with giant Arabic calligraphy and has a
tank for ritual ablutions in the center. Visit Jumma
Masjid will overwhelm you with its large complex within
the narrow lanes of the city.

Fort constructed in the year 1411 A.D. during the rule of
Marathas, was established by Sultan Ahmad Shah, the
founder of the city. Fort was named after the presence
of Bhadra goddess temple built during the reign of the
Marathas. In addition, it is also said that Sultan Ahmad
Shah built the Bhadra gate for entering the fort. The
Bhadra Fort consists of the palace, the beautiful Nagina
Baugh and the Ahmed Shah's Mosque on the west along
with a wide-open area known as Maidan-Shah on the
east side. It had a fortified wall with 8 gates, 14 towers
and 2 openings covering an area of 43 acres.

Built-in 1485 using sand stone in Hindu-Islamic
architectural style, the Dada Harir stepwell is ve stories
deep and octagonal in shape at the top. Built on
intricately carved large pillars, entrance is from the East
and two spiral staircases are in the West. On the walls, as
you step down you can see carvings in Sanskrit as well as
in Arabic script. Stepping down story by story will
astonish you by its intricate carving and architecture that
makes it worth experiencing.