An ancient ocean port
Khambhat — the ancient Cambay — was one of the great ports of the medieval Indian Ocean world, thriving from the 9th to the 16th centuries as a conduit for silk, spices, agate and carnelian, visited by Arab, Persian, Chinese and European traders and noted by Marco Polo.
The agate trade is the thread that survived everything else: lapidaries in the town’s workshops still cut and polish the banded stone brought from the Rajpipla hills, working a craft this region has practised for some five thousand years. Watching the wheels turn — and buying beads or bowls at the source — is the visit’s most rewarding half hour.
The city’s silting harbour eventually ended its maritime pre-eminence, but Khambhat’s craftsmen have continued for centuries to work the beautiful agate and carnelian stones washed in from the Narmada estuary, producing the famous Khambhat gem-polishing tradition.
The old city retains its historic mosques (some with repurposed temple columns reflecting the layered history) and the centuries-old craft workshops that still cut, polish and bead the brilliant stones. A city of ancient trade and living craft.
A morning covers the essentials in a natural loop: the Jami Masjid of 1325 first, its pillared hall assembled from older carved stone; then the lanes of the old quarter with their havelis and derasars; and finally an agate workshop, where the polishing wheels and bead-drills continue a craft the Harappans would recognise. The stones themselves — banded agates, deep carnelians — come from the Narmada gravels as they always have, heat-treated to raise the colour before cutting.
The Jami Masjid interior, Khambhat.
The port Marco Polo knew, and the silt that killed it
Carved pillars of the Jami Masjid.
From the ninth to the sixteenth centuries, Cambay ranked among the Indian Ocean's great ports.
Marco Polo noted its wealth; Arab and Persian geographers wrote it into their charts.
The gem trade made it a byword — agate and carnelian cut here reached three continents.
Then the harbour silted, and the trade moved on to Surat and the sea's new ports.
Reasons to make the time
Agate craft
The agate craft is a living tradition, worked today as for centuries.
Old mosques
The medieval heritage stands in mosque, tomb and lane.
Ancient port
This is Marco Polo's Cambay — a city travellers wrote home about.
Gem workshops
The workshops welcome watchers; the craft is done openly.
Historic old city
Old lanes and monuments reward slow walking.
Gulf coast
The estuary that made and unmade the port lies just beyond.
What to look for inside
THE MOSQUEJami Masjid
Khambhat's great mosque.
THE CRAFTAgate & gems
A living tradition.
How to spend an hour or two
See the Jami Masjid
See the Jami Masjid's carved pillars, reused from older shrines.
Visit gem workshops
Watch agate and carnelian being cut and polished by hand.
Walk the old city
Walk the old lanes and markets of the port quarter.
Learn the history
Stand where Marco Polo's port once received the ocean's trade.
Buy agate jewelry
Buy beads and stones directly from the craftsmen.
See the gulf coast
Look out over the silted harbour that ended the story.
Jami Masjid, Khambhat.
A medieval port-city
Khambhat (ancient Cambay) was one of the great medieval Indian Ocean ports, noted by Marco Polo, thriving on trade in silk, spices and agate until its harbour silted in the 16th century.
Its craftsmen still work the brilliant agate and carnelian stones, and its old mosques (with repurposed temple columns) reflect its layered, cosmopolitan history. A city of ancient trade and living craft.
Our Anand travel guide maps out the other places worth your time here.
Ancient port noted by Marco Polo
Thrived 9th–16th centuries
Living agate & carnelian craft
Old mosques with temple columns
When to go
Cool and pleasant — the ideal season.
Lush but humid.
Hot and dry — start early.
⏰ Visit in the cool months; pair the old city with the gem workshops in one unhurried morning.
Timings & entry
- Open in daytime hours
- Best in the cool season
- An easy Anand stop
- Weekdays best for dairy
- Free or a nominal fee
- Book Amul tour in advance
- Good road & rail links
- Pair with nearby sights
Getting there
By Air
Ahmedabad airport (~70 km).
By Rail
Anand Junction.
By Road
NH-48 / Anand.
At Khambhat (Cambay)
STONE & CITY
The agate city
What to shoot
The great mosque and its pillared hall.
Detail
Agate gems at the polishing wheel.
Setting
The old city's lanes and gates.
Best light
Morning light on the port quarter.
Know before you go
More to see close by
Anand Agricultural University
A world-class agricultural university — Anand Agricultural University (AAU), heir to a century-old tradition of agronomic…
ISKCON Anand
A graceful Krishna temple in the city
HERITAGEPetlad
An old market town of the Charotar
TOWNSHIPVallabh Vidyanagar
A green university town of the Charotar
Khambhat Jain Cluster
A constellation of historic derasars
Swaminarayan Temple, Anand
The white marble of the Akshar tradition — Swaminarayan Temple in Anand, of the BAPS tradition,…
Where to eat near Khambhat
THALIGujarati Thali
Hearty Charotar meals.
FARSANKhaman & farsan
Steamed snacks.
STREETAnand street
Street food in the city.
Milk sweets
Famous for fresh milk sweets — shrikhand, basundi, doodh pak.
Khambhat (Cambay) FAQ
What is Khambhat (Cambay)?
Khambhat — the ancient Cambay — was one of the great ports of the medieval Indian Ocean world, thriving from the 9th to the 16th centuries as a conduit for silk, spices, agate and carnelian, visited by Arab, Persian, Chinese and European traders and noted by Marco Polo. The city's silting harbour eventually ended its maritime pre-eminence, but Khambhat's craftsmen have continued for centuries to work the beautiful agate and carnelian stones washed in from the Narmada estuary, producing the famous Khambhat gem-polishing tradition.
Where is it?
Khambhat, Anand.
Is there an entry fee?
Free.
When should I visit?
October to March, the cool season.
What's nearby?
The Amul dairy, Vallabh Vidyanagar, Karamsad and Borsad.
How long does it take?
Half a day.
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Published 24 June 2026 · Updated 24 August 2026