Surat travel guide — Surat tourism and travel information

Welcome to Surat Travel Guide, extensive source of tourist information and travel services offer related to Surat and India. Book cheap hotels, cheap flights and get car rental. We also offer Surat travel guide books and maps and atlases. Please visit India travel guide for more travel and tourism iformation and attractions in the India.

our Surat travel guide — Surat tourism and travel information content

Surat travel and tourist guide
Surat travel services
Surat travel books
- Surat travel guide books
- Surat maps and atlases

latest Surat and India discussion posts

Join our comprehensive travel discussion board! Share your Surat and India travel experience! Our Ask and Answer forum is geographically divided, the team of editors world-wide is ready to answer your questions.

insert new comment or question »

Surat travel guide

about Surat

Surat is a port city in the Indian state of Gujarat. As of 1999, Surat and its metropolitan area had a population of approximately 3.5 million.

The city is situated on the left bank of the Tapi River, 14 miles from its mouth. A moat indicates the dividing-line between the old city, with its narrow streets and handsome houses, and the newer suburbs, but the city wall has almost disappeared. On the river frontage rises the irregular picturesque fortress built about 1540. A fire and a flood in 1837 destroyed a great number of buildings, but there remain several of interest, such as the mosque of Nay Saiyid Sabib, with its nine tombs, the Saiyid Edroos mosque (1634) and the ornate Mirza Sami mosque and tomb (1540). Among the interesting monuments are the tombs of English and Dutch merchants of the 17th century, especially that of the Oxenden brothers.

Surat is also the a district in the state of Gujarat. Surat city is the administrative headquarters of this district. This district is surrounded by Bharuch, Narmada (North), Navsari and Dang (South) districts. To the west is the Gulf of Cambay.

Surat geography

Local traditions fix the establishment of the modern city in the last year of the fifteenth century, and in 1514 the Portuguese traveller Barbosa described it as an important seaport, frequented by many ships from Malabar and all parts. Surat eclipsed Cambay as the major port of western India, as Cambay's harbor had began to silt up. During the reigns of Mughal emperors Akbar, Jahangir and Shah Jahan it rose to be the chief commercial city of India. At the end of the 16th century the Portuguese were undisputed masters of the Surat sea trade. But in 1612 the British Captain Best, and after him Captain Downton, destroyed the Portuguese naval supremacy and obtained an imperial firman establishing a British factory at Surat, and making the city the seat of a presidency under the British East India Company, while the Dutch also founded a factory. In 1664 the Maratha leader Shivaji sacked Surat, with the exception of the British factory, a fortified warehouse-counting house-hostel, which was successfully defended by Sir George Oxenden. The prosperity of the factory at Surat received a fatal blow when Bombay was ceded to the Company (1668) and shortly afterwards made the capital of the Company's possessions and the chief seat of their trade. From that date also the city began to decline, and the city was sacked again by Shivaji in 1670. At one time its population was estimated at 800,000, by the middle of the 19th century the number had fallen to 80,000; but in 1901 it had risen again to 119,306. Surat was taken by the British in 1759, and the conquerors assumed the undivided government of the city in 1800. Since the introduction of British rule the district has remained comparatively tranquil; and even during the Revolt of 1857 peace was not disturbed, owing in great measure to the loyalty of the leading Muslim families.

By the early 20th century, Surat was still a centre of trade and manufacture, though some of its former industries, such as ship-building, were extinct. There were cotton mills, factories for ginning and pressing cotton, rice-cleaning mills and paper mills. Fine cotton goods were woven in hand-looms, and there were special manufactures of silk brocade and embroidery. The chief trades were organized in guilds. There were many wealthy Parsi, Hindu and Muslim merchants.

In 1992, violents riots took place between Hindus and Muslims, and in 1994, a plague epidemic spread in the city. After it was cleaned up it was declared the second cleanest city of India.

One particular village in the suburbs of Surat is Barbodhan Village, possibly name after the explorer Barbosa link describes the history of Barbodhan

Near cities to Surat

Near webcams to Surat

Surat travel services

choose from our international travel services offer:

cheap flights to Surat

City Travel Guide is exclusive partner of four main cheap airline tickets and cheap flights online booking systems. We are happy to offer cheap airline tickets Surat, cheap flights Surat, also available cheap airline tickets to India and to the whole world. Up to date cheap flights Surat deals also available.

cheap Surat hotels

City Travel Guide is exclusive partner of main cheap hotels and accommodation online booking systems. We are happy to offer cheap hotels in Surat, India hotel guide and cheap hotels and accommodation in lot of other world-wide destinations. Up to date cheap Surat hotel deals and discount accommodation tips also available.

cheap Surat vacations

City Travel Guide is exclusive partner of main cheap vacations online booking systems. We are happy to offer cheap vacations in Surat, India vacation rentals and cheap vacations in lot of other destinations world-wide. Up to date Surat vacation deals also available.

cheap car rentals in Surat

City Travel Guide is exclusive partner of main car rentals online booking systems. We are happy to offer car rentals in Surat, car hire in India and cheap car rental in lot other world-wide destinations. Up to date cheap Surat car hire deals also available.

Surat travel insurance

City Travel Guide is exclusive partner of Essential Travel Ltd., leading online travel insurance company, we can offer you health travel insurance for Surat, accident health Surat travel insurance, all using our online Surat travel insurance form. We also offer travel insurance for other cities in India. This offer is available for UK residents only.

Surat real estate

City Travel Guide comes with Surat real estate guide with several tips on home valuation, realtors comparison, secrets on finding the "right" home, loans guide and other helpful real estate advices. Our partners also maintain Surat property for sale and rental listings, real estate laws and reviews. We will try to help you with buying property in India, choosing real estate agents, property finders, relocation help, and information for English speakers wanting to buy real estate in Surat.

Surat travel books

Surat travel guide books

Surat maps and atlases

This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the Wikipedia article "Surat".

Europe

North America

South America

Asia

Australia

Africa

world city travel guides

Asia city travel guide

India city travel guide

Surat, India travel guide