People from distant lands visited Surat because of the following reasons:
(i) Surat was the gateway for trade with West Asia via the Gulf of Hormuz.
(ii) Surat has also been called the gate to Mecca because many pilgrim ships set sail from here.
(iii) There was a big market for cotton textiles. One could find several retail and wholesale shops selling cotton textiles.
(iv) The textiles of Surat were famous for their gold lace borders, Ie, zari and had a market in West Asia, Africa, and Europe.
(v) There were ample rest-houses for the visitors. Magnificent buildings and innumerable pleasure parks attracted people from far-off places.