User:Shafeek91/History of kayalpatnam

Kayalpatnam(aka Kayalpattinam, Tamil - ) or Korkai is a town in the Tuticorin district of Tamil Nadu, India. Kayal is referred to in Marco Polo's travel diaries dating to 1250 AD. Korkai or Kayal (Chayal) was an ancient port dating to the 1st centuries of the Christian era and was contemporaneous to the existence of Kollam, another Pandyan port. Kollam served the Pandyas on the west coast while Korkai/Kayal served them on the east coast connecting them to Ceylon and the pearl fisheries in the Gulf of Mannar facing the Tirunelveli Coast. Kayal has Muslim settlements dating from 7th century AD but Marco Polo's reference to the tomb of Thomas and the Christian communities would indicate Syrian Christian communities in the region prior to that era. The ancient port had connections with Egypt, Rome and Greece. The other ports on the Coromandel Coast were Kaveripumpattinam (Poompuhar) and Arikamedu (near Pondicherry). On the west coast the ancient ports were Kollam and Kodungallur and Barugachha (Broach) in Gujarat.[1] A famous port during the times of the Pandyan kingdom, it is also a chief port of Mabar (Tirunelveli Coast or Coromandel Coast adjoining the Gulf of Mannar). Since 8th century AD, Kayal is inhabited by Muslims belonging to the Dravidian race. The current population has also people from the Nadar (caste) , Devar, Harijan Adi Dravidian and Christian communities living in peace. It is believed that the original inhabitants of this town migrated from Egypt. There are several references to this trading port in various literary works, notably in the travel work of Marco Polo. Kayalpatnam was also an important trade centre even before the arrival of Islam. Five thousand years ago, it was the capital of second Tamil Sangam, called Kapadapuram. The northern part of Kayal is called Palaiya Kayal and Punna Kayal. The town has a number of mosques. Prominent among them are Kutba Periya Palli, Kutba Siru Palli, Al-Jamiul Azhar, Aram Palli, Kaadiriya Kodimara Siru Nainar Palli, Kuruvithurai Palli, Erattai Kolathu Palli, Appapalli, Maraicar Palli, Kadal Karai Palli (the second mosque in India, first mosque of the town), Karup-Udaiyar Palli, Kattu Mogudoom Palli,Hafil Ameer Appa Palli, Thayum Palli, Ahamed Nainar Palli, Mogudoom Palli of Mogudoom street and Yusuf Appa Palli