India: The Basilica of Bom Jesus houses St. Francis Xavier’s tomb, Old Goa, Goa

Old Goa or Velha Goa was founded in the 15th century CE as a port on the banks of the Mandovi river by the rulers of the Bijapur Sultanate. The city was built to replace Govapuri, which lay a few kilometres to the south and had been used as a port by the Kadamba and Vijayanagar kings. Old Goa was the second capital after Bijapur of the rule of Adil Shahi Dynasty. It was surrounded by a moat and contained the shah's palace, and his mosques and temples. The city was captured by the Portuguese, and was under Portuguese rule from 1510 as the administrative seat of Portuguese India. The viceroy's residence was transferred in 1759 to the future capital, Panjim, at the time a village about 9 km to its west. During the mid-16th century, the Portuguese colony of Goa, especially Velha Goa, was the center of Christianisation in the East. The city was evangelised by all religious orders, since all of them had their headquarters there Photographer: David Henley