Architecture sights in Ahmedabad (Amdavad)
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A
Dada Hari Wav
Dada Hari Wav, built in 1499 by a woman of Sultan Begara’s harem, has steps to lower platforms, terminating at a small, octagonal well. The depths are cool, even on the hottest day. Neglected and often bone dry, it’s a fascinating and eerie place. The best time to visit and photograph the well is between 10am and 11am (earlier in the summer, later in the winter); at other times the sun doesn’t penetrate to the various levels. Bus 34 and 111 (Rs. 5) to Asarwa stops nearby.
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Sarkhej Rosa
Located 8km south-west of the city, Sarkhej Rosa is a collection of intriguing Islamic buildings. They cluster around a great tank, constructed by Sultan Mahmud Shah I (1458–1511).
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B
Jama Masjid
The Jama Masjid, built by Ahmed Shah in 1423, is to the east of the Teen Darwaja. Demolished Hindu and Jain temples provided the building materials. The 260 columns support 15 domes at different elevations. There were once two 'shaking' minarets, but they lost half their height in the great earthquake of 1819 and collapsed after another tremor in 1957. The 2001 earthquake then took its toll, leaving cracks in the masonry and destroying several jalis (carved marble lattice screens).
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C
Rani Sipri's Mosque
The small Rani Sipri's Mosque is also known as the Masjid-e-Nagira (Jewel of a Mosque) because of its graceful construction, with slender minarets - again a blend of styles. It's said to have been commissioned in 1514 by a wife of Sultan Mahmud Begara after he executed their son for some minor misdemeanour - she is also buried here.
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D
Sidi Saiyad’s Mosque
Sidi Saiyad’s Mosque, close to the river, was once part of the old citadel wall. Constructed in 1573 by Sidi Saiyad, a sometime slave of Ahmed Shah, it is one of Ahmedabad’s most stunning buildings, with exquisite jalis, spiderweb fine, depicting the intricate intertwining branches of the ‘tree of life’.
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E
Rani Rupmati's Mosque
Rani Rupmati's Mosque, built between 1430 and 1440, was named after the Hindu wife of the sultan. The minarets were damaged in the great earthquake of 1819. The dome is elevated to allow light in around its base. Like so many of Ahmedabad's early mosques, it combines elements of Hindu and Islamic design.
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Raj Babri Mosque
The shaking minarets of the Raj Babri Mosque, in Gomtipur, were destroyed by their ingenuity, as one was partially dismantled by an inquisitive Englishman in an unsuccessful attempt to find out how it worked. It was never completely repaired, then in 2001 both minarets collapsed. Repairs continue.
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F
Ahmed Shah's Mosque
Southwest of Bhadra Fort and dating from 1414, Ahmed Shah's Mosque was one of the city's earliest mosques. It has an elaborately carved ceiling with a circular symmetry reminiscent of Hindu and Jain temples, and beautiful pillars and jalis.
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G
Swaminarayan Temple
Dive into the old city's narrow streets to find the glorious, multicoloured, woodcarved Swaminarayan Temple, a great, grand haveli (traditional, ornately decorated residence) dating from 1850, enclosed in a large courtyard.
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H
Sidi Bashir Mosque
The Sidi Bashir Mosque is famed for its 21.3m-high shaking minarets (jhulta minars). Built to shake to protect against earthquake damage, this certainly worked in 2001.
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I
Mata Bhavani's Well
Mata Bhavani's Well is about 200m north of Dada Hari Wav. Thought to be several hundred years older, it's less ornate and used as a simple Hindu temple.
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