Throughout its history, spanning more than four millennia, Gujarat has attracted immigrants from all over the world. They came to trade, to plunder, to conquer, to colonise, to seek refuge and to find their fortune on the west coast of India. Each community brought with them a distinct style of art and architecture, making Gujarat's many monuments an interesting blend of internal and international influences.

Provincial wooden architecture of Gujarat can be seen in haveli's and Darbargadh fort complexes throughout the states, and unique blends like the Indo-Saracenic and Mughal styles, both combining Hindu and Muslim elements, developed within the confines of the state. Architecture became more eclectic with the coming of the Europeans, and it is quite possible to see palaces that freely mix Hindu, Islamic and European architectural styles, without a single feature seeming out of place in the entire facade.

Gujarat has stone age sites in Rajkot district and eastern Gujarat, and the red ware culture existed in the state before 2400 BC. But it was the Harrapans who introduced the concept of urbanisation in Gujarat. It is believed the Harrapans came to Gujarat from the Indus valley in search of trading bases, and they did find suitable ports at Lothal, near the Sabarmati river estuary, Kuntasi near present day Morvi, and Dhorawira in the Great Rann of Kutch, then an arm of the Arabian sea.

Gujarat has stone age sites in Rajkot district and eastern Gujarat, and the red ware culture existed in the state before 2400 BC. But it was the Harrapans who introduced the concept of urbanisation in Gujarat. It is believed the Harrapans came to Gujarat from the Indus valley in search of trading bases, and they did find suitable ports at Lothal, near the Sabarmati river estuary, Kuntasi near present day Morvi, and Dhorawira in the Great Rann of Kutch, then an arm of the Arabian sea.
Lothal has some of the most substantial remains of the Harrapan civilisation within Indian frontiers. Excavations reveal a town planned in a grid system with residences, copper smithing workshops, bead factories and potteries. . The upper town on a plinth has warehouses, set above the inundation level in this lowr lying area, and residences with kitchen and private baths that indicate they were an acropolis for a ruler or aristocrats. The highlight of Harrapan towrn planning was the system of sanitary drainage, comprising an arterial network of underground drains that carried wastes to nearby rivers.

The upper town is set beside a large tank, which archaeologists believe was a dockyard, with an opening that must once have been a lock gate, withchannels connected to the Sabarmati river estuary, allowing ships to sluice into the lock gate from the sea, yet keeping the dock clear of the large tides of the Gulf coast of Cambay. The capacity of the dock was equal to the present day tonnage of the shipyard of Vizag, ratifying the maturity of maritime engineering and hydraulics acheived during the Indus valley civilisation period. The lower town had simpler residences, copper smithing workshops, bead factories and potteries. Inscriptions on seals found among the excavations at Lothal are suggestive of overseas trade during the Harrapan period. The archaelogists have unearthed painted pottery, microbeads and copper inscriptions, implements and toys, and it is obvious that the Harrapans had standardised weights and measures. The relics have been displayed at the ASI Museum at Lothal.

Dholawira in Kutch is another of the many Indus sites excavated in Gujarat. A bird's eye view of the excavated area reveals a 120 acre walled citadel, with dwellings made from clay of different colours at different levels, and reserviors. Among the many Indus sites excavated in India this is certainly one of the most monumental. Smoothed blocks, columns, gateways and engraved stone, found among the ruins, introduce visitors to the architecture of the 2500-1600 BC period. Like Lothal, Dhorawira offers an insight into the towrn planning, drainage and industrial growth of the Harrapa.