Surat is a large city beside the Tapi River in the west Indian state of Gujarat. Once known for silk weaving, Surat remains a commercial center for textiles, and the New Textile Market area is lined with fabric shops. Overlooking the river, Surat Castle was built in the 1500s to defend the city against Portuguese colonists. Nearby, the Dutch, Armenian, and English cemeteries contain elaborate colonial-era tombs.