Muziris Heritage Project to develop ancient Muziris port
Q. Muziris Heritage Project is being implemented by the Tourism Department of the Government of Kerala, with the support of the Ministry of Tourism, Government of India. Muziris is?- Published on 29 Feb 16a. Port city
b. Artist
c. Fort/Palace
d. Religious Centre
ANSWER: Port city
- Muziris was an ancient seaport and urban center in the Malabar Coast (modern day Indian state of Kerala) that dates from at least the 1st century BC, if not before it. Muziris has found mention in the bardic Sangam literature and a number of classical European historical sources.
- The port was a key to the trade between southern India and the Phoenicians, the Persians, the Egyptians, the Greeks and the Roman Empire.
- Muziris Heritage Project is a tourism venture by Tourism Department of Kerala to reinstate the historical and cultural significance of Muziris. The idea of the project came after the extensive excavations and discoveries at Pattanam by Kerala Council for Historical Research. The project also covers various other historically significant sites and monuments in central Kerala.
- The nearby site of Kottapuram, a 16th-century fort, was also excavated (from May 2010) as part of the Muziris Heritage Project.
- It is believed that a devastating flood that changed the course of the Periyar river or an earthquake in the 14th century led to the decline of Muziris.
- The primary trade was of Spices.
