Following his capture of Pavagadh, Sultan Mahmud Begada turned Champaner, at the base of the hill, into a splendid new capital. But its glory was brief: when it was captured by Mughal emperor Humayun in 1535, the Gujarati capital reverted to Ahmedabad, and Champaner fell into ruin. The heart of this historic site is the Citadel, whose most impressive features are its monumental mosques (no longer used for worship), with their beautiful blending of Islamic and Hindu decoration styles
The huge Jami Masjid , just outside the Citadel’s east gate, boasts a wonderful carved entrance porch that leads into a lovely courtyard surrounded by a pillared corridor. The prayer hall has two tall central minarets, further superb stone carving, multiple domes, and seven mihrabs (prayer niches) along the back wall.
Other beautiful mosques include the Saher ki Masjid , behind the ticket office inside the Citadel, which was probably the private royal mosque, and the Kevda Masjid , 300m north of the Citadel and about 600m west of the Jami Masjid. Here you can climb narrow stairs to the roof, and higher up the minarets, to spot other mosques even further out into the countryside – Nagina Masjid , 500m north, with no minarets but exquisite geometric carving, and Lila Gumbaj ki Masjid , 800m east, on a high platform and with a fluted central dome. The twin minarets resembling factory chimneys, about 1km west, adorn the Brick Minar ki Masjid , a rare brick tomb.
