Old Goa

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Churches and Convents of Goa¹
UNESCO World Heritage Site

State Party	India
Type	Cultural
Criteria	ii, iv, vi
Identification	#234
Region2	Asia-Pacific
Inscription History
Formal Inscription:	1986 10th WH Committee Session
WH link:	http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/234
1 Name as officially inscribed on the WH List 2 As classified officially by UNESCO

Velha Goa ("Velha" means old in Portuguese) was founded in the 15th century as a port for the Vijayanagar and Bahamni kings. Old Goa was the second capitol of Bijapur under the rule of Adil Shah. The city was surrounded by a moat and contained the Shah's palace, and his mosques and temples. The city of Goa in south-western India was under Portuguese rule from 1510 and became the capital of Portuguese India until its incorporation in the Republic of India in 1961.

At its peak it was as large as London or Paris. Malaria and cholera epidemics ravaged the city in the 17th century and it was largely abandoned only having a remaining population of 1,500 in 1775. The viceroy then moved the palace of Adil Shah to Panaji. In 1835 after religious suppression the city was virtually deserted. The population was roughly 200,000 by 1543. It was the administrative seat of Portuguese India until 1843, although the Viceroy's residence was transferred in 1759 to the future capital, Panaji.

Old Goa contains churches affiliated to various congregations, including the Se Cathedral (the seat of the Archbishop of Goa), the church of St Francis of Assisi, the church of S. Caetano, and notably, the Basilica of Bom Jesus which contains the incorruptible body of Saint Francis Xavier

[edit] See also

• Church of St. Anne, Talaulim
• Goa
• Portuguese India
• List of ghost towns

[edit] External link

• History of Old Goa
• Photographs of the churches and convents of Old Goa and other areas in Goa

Coordinates: 15°30′08″N, 73°54′42″E