The Muziris heritage site comprises of a\u00a0large area – from North Parur in Ernakulam district to Kodungallur taluk in Thrissur district<\/a>.\u00a0Until 1341, the city port of Muziris was flourishing in all its glory when the Periyar river basin had a major transformation.<\/p>\n Muziris Heritage,\u00a0overlooking the Periyar river fell prey to the quirks of Nature and went under the river, where it lay submerged\u00a0until\u00a0recently. In 2007,\u00a0Kerala Council for Historical Research (KCHR), conducted excavations and this\u00a0gradually threw\u00a0light on the famed\u00a0Muziris and its treasures.<\/p>\n Let\u2019s now meander along some of the major sites that\u00a0comprises of Muziris heritage project.<\/p>\n Image by Ranjithsiji<\/a>\u00a0via Wikimedia<\/p>\n Located in the Parur\u00a0taluk of Ernakulam district, Kottayil Kovilakam is a quaint\u00a0little\u00a0village\u00a0displaying the perfect\u00a0example of religious harmony. It is\u00a0also the spot where the Chalakudy and the Periyar rivers meet. You\u00a0have a Krishna temple, church, mosque and a\u00a0Jewish synagogue. It is believed that the Jesuits started a printing press here, the first ever in India.<\/p>\n Image via muzirisheritage.org<\/a><\/p>\n The Kottapuram market is a trade\u00a0center where foreign\u00a0influences and native styles co-exist\u00a0peacefully.\u00a0Through the Muziris heritage project, Kottappuram market has been able to relive its\u00a0glorious past, and the place has been teeming with tourists who get totally mesmerized by the different wares on\u00a0display.<\/p>\n Pattanam is a famous ancient\u00a0village\u00a0located near North Parur, (about 2 kilometres away). Excavations were conduced on the\u00a0land and treasures of a\u00a0long\u00a0lost\u00a0land were eventually discovered.<\/p>\n It is said that a group of local boys were tinkering in the sands when they discovered pot shards, glass beads and other items that pointed to wars raged in the area. Excavations were started in full\u00a0swing and a plethora of material was collected at the site.<\/p>\n It is also interesting to note that the village known as Pattanam is the same ancient\u00a0village mentioned in the early Tamil and Roman\u00a0literature. But Pattanam is, indeed, a piece of\u00a0magnificent history because, if records are to be\u00a0believed, the\u00a0village conducted trade with 20 different\u00a0countries.<\/p>\n Jews came to Chendamangalam (Ernakulam district) from Kodungallur (Thrissur\u00a0district) in 1420 and\u00a0built the synagogue here. The place of\u00a0worship was destroyed in a fire and\u00a0rebuilt\u00a0later in 1614, after which it went through several renovations during different ages.<\/p>\n The synagogue\u00a0displays the perfect slice of\u00a0life of the Jews of Kerala; their\u00a0rituals, beliefs\u00a0and\u00a0lifestyles. It has\u00a0beautiful stone pillars with stone carvings on them, wooden planks on the roof and a prayer room with an elevated platform for Torah reading. The Jewish Synagogue is an architectural marvel and a must visit destination of Kerala<\/a> that displays the rich glory and traditions of the Jewish culture.<\/p>\n Image via\u00a0muzirisheritage.org<\/a><\/p>\n The Kottapuram Fort was\u00a0built in 1523 by the Portuguese, captured and\u00a0destroyed by the Dutch in 1663. It was the bone of contention among many rulers who wanted to purchase the fort because of its strategic positioning over the river.<\/p>\n Image by\u00a0\u0d28\u0d3f\u0d30\u0d15\u0d4d\u0d37\u0d30\u0d7b<\/a><\/span>\u00a0via Wikimedia<\/p>\n While on a tour of Muziris, don\u2019t forget to visit the famed Cheraman Parambu with its rich\u00a0collection of protected monuments. Other noted exhibits include\u00a0various kinds of bangles and beads, copper and iron implements among several others. These artifacts are believed to\u00a0belong to the Cheraman kings during the Chera dynasty.<\/p>\n Worth noting is the\u00a0plethora of\u00a0shivlings<\/em>\u00a0that were unearthed in the area.<\/p>\n Marthoma Smruthi Tharangam is a church\u00a0dedicated to the\u00a0life of St. Thomas.\u00a0Located\u00a0along the banks of River Periyar and about six\u00a0kilometers from Azhikode village in\u00a0Kodungalloor, the church is one of the seven churches\u00a0established by St. Thomas.<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n Image by\u00a0Shahinmusthafa<\/a>\u00a0via Wikimedia<\/p>\n The Cheraman Juma Masjid is\u00a0also noted for its\u00a0religious harmony, because many\u00a0non-Muslims come here to perform\u00a0\u201cvidyarambham\u201d for their\u00a0children. According to the oral tradition of the mosque, it is\u00a0believed that Cheraman\u00a0Perumal met with the Prophet when he visited Arabia, and got converted to Islam. He sent\u00a0letters to his\u00a0relatives through\u00a0Malik Ibn Dinar and it was he who\u00a0built the mosque in 629 AD.<\/p>\n Image via\u00a0muzirisheritage.org<\/a><\/p>\n Vypeen kotta Seminary was\u00a0built by the Portuguese and is\u00a0still one of the most noted\u00a0historical\u00a0monuments<\/a> in the India.\u00a0Adjacent to the seminary lies the Holy Cross church, also worth a visit. In 1935 the Department of Archaeology, Government of Kerala,\u00a0proclaimed the seminary to be a protected monument.<\/p>\n The Paliath Achans or the Prime Ministers of the Cochin kings\u00a0lived in the Paliam Palace, or rather, their women and children lived there.<\/p>\n The palace itself is 450 years old and boasts of a rich architectural splendor with intricate carved wooden staircases, thick walls and magnificent balustrades. The palace boasts of a rich Dutch influence as they built it for the Paliath Achans, as gift for the latter\u2019s services.<\/p>\nKottayil Kovilakam<\/strong><\/h3>\n
![\"Kottayil](\"https:\/\/paradise-kerala.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/07\/Kottayil-Kovilakam.png\" "\\"Kottayil")
<\/p>\nKottapuram Market<\/strong><\/h3>\n
![\"Kottappuram](\"https:\/\/paradise-kerala.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/07\/Kottappuram-Market.png\" "\\"Kottappuram")
<\/p>\nPattanam<\/strong><\/h3>\n
![\"Get](\"https:\/\/paradise-kerala.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/03\/free-tour-plan.png\")
<\/a><\/p>\nJewish\u00a0Synagogue\u00a0<\/strong><\/h3>\n
![\"Jewish](\"https:\/\/paradise-kerala.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/07\/Jewish-Synagogue.png\" "\\"Jewish")
<\/p>\nKottappuram Fort<\/strong><\/h3>\n
![\"Kottappuram](\"https:\/\/paradise-kerala.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/07\/Kottappuram-Fort.png\" "\\"Kottappuram")
<\/p>\nCheraman Parambu<\/strong><\/h3>\n
![\"Cheraman](\"https:\/\/paradise-kerala.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/07\/Cheraman-parambu.png\" "\\"Cheraman")
<\/p>\nMarthoma Smruthi Tharangam<\/strong><\/h3>\n
Cheraman Juma Masjid<\/strong><\/h3>\n
![\"Cheraman](\"https:\/\/paradise-kerala.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/07\/Cheraman-Juma-Masjid.png\" "\\"Cheraman")
<\/p>\nVypeen kotta Seminary<\/strong><\/h3>\n
![\"Vypeen](\"https:\/\/paradise-kerala.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/07\/Vypeen-Kotta-Seminary.png\" "\\"Vypeen")
<\/p>\nPaliam\u00a0Palace<\/strong><\/h3>\n
![\"Paliyam](\"https:\/\/paradise-kerala.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/07\/paliyam-house.png\" "\\"Paliyam")
<\/p>\nKizhthali Siva Temple<\/strong><\/h3>\n
![\"Keezhthali](\"https:\/\/paradise-kerala.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/07\/Keezhthali-Shiva-Temple.png\" "\\"Keezhthali")
<\/p>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/paradise-kerala.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/05\/Get-Your-Tour-Plan-1.jpg\")
<\/a><\/figure><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"