Kodungallur Fort or Kottapuram Fort was built in 1523 by the Portuguese. As the name suggests, this fort is located at Kottappuram near Kodungallur in the Thrissur district of the southern Indian state of Kerala. In 1663, the fort was captured by the Dutch and destroyed in an attack. Subsequently, the Dutch converted the fort's estuary into a warehouse for merchant ships and the interior of the fort for exporting goods. Kottapuram Fort is located near the estuary where the Periyar, the longest river in Kerala, merges with the Arabian Sea.
Archaeologists have unearthed the location of the ancient port of Muziris in Kerala, 10 km from the fort, in a village now known as Pattanam. Hyder Ali, who was the ruler of Mysore, negotiated with the Dutch over the purchase of the Kottapuram fort after his Malabar invasion; as the fort was very strategic for maritime trade and naval missions. Later, during the reign of Tipu Sultan, King Dharmaraja of Travancore, realizing that the acquisition of the fort was in the best interests of his national security, negotiated with the Dutch and bought the fort. The full implementation of this agreement was in 1789, by Raja kesavadasan Diwan of Travancore. Kottapuram fort was also attacked by the Zamorin, who was the ruler of Malabar. The Archaeological Survey of Travancore has preserved and maintained this ruined fort as an inscription related to its establishment was found inside the Kottapuram fort.
Many ancient and historical monuments and shrines are located around the Kottapuram Fort, a few kilometers away. Marthoma Pontifical Shrine, Thiruvanchikulam Mahadeva Temple, Kodungallur Bhagwati Temple, Cheraman Juma musjid, the first mosque in Kerala, the Dutch palace (Paliyam kovilakam), and the Vaipikotta Seminary are some among them. The Fort is located at a distance of 4 km from Kottapuram Junction on National Highway 66 and 8 km from Kodungallur town. Kottapuram Fort is located close to the bridge from Kottappuram to Thuruthippuram.
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