Old Goa

Old Goa (Konkani: ; ) is a historical site and city situated on the southern banks of the River Mandovi, within the Tiswadi taluka (Ilhas) of North Goa district, in the Indian state of Goa. The city was established by the Bijapur Sultanate in the 15th century AD. After the Portuguese conquest of Goa, it served as capital of Portuguese Indian possessions, such as Mumbai/Bombay (Bom Bahia) territory and the state of Kochi/Cochin (Cochim), until its abandonment in the 18th century AD due to a plague. Under Portuguese rule, it is said to have been a city of nearly 200,000 people, from whence the spice trade was carried out across the Portuguese East Indies. The deserted city, containing churches and convents of outstanding architectural and religious importance, has been declared a World Heritage Site by the UNESCO. Old Goa is approximately east of the current state capital of Panjim. Etymology The name "Old Goa" was first used in the 1960s in the address of the Konkani monthly magazine, dedicated to spread the devotion of the Sacred Heart, Dor Mhoineachi Rotti, which was shifted to the Basilica of Bom Jesus in 1964. Postal letters were returned to the sender, as the name "Old Goa" was unknown then, according to then- and long-time editor of the monthly, the great Goan historian late Padre Moreno de Souza, SJ.