Paperback. Zo goed als nieuw. Engelstalig. Archaeological survey of India 2004. This is part of a series of guidebooks published by the archaeological survey of india to showcase world heritage sites in india. A unesco-designated world heritage site, old goa or velha goa, is famed for its churches and convents. Although christianity came to india with the arrival of st. Thomas in the first century ad, it was the portuguese who firmly implanted the faith in this land in the sixteenth century after the conquest of goa in 1510; the portuguese began studding the land with churches and convents. The architects responsible for building these monuments were inspired by the architectural styles then prevalent in europe. The magnificent monuments in goa served an additional evangelical purpose by inspiring awe and reverence in the new converts. Among the most significant churches in old coo is the basilica of bom jesus, which houses the mausoleum of goas patron saint, francis xavier. The largest church in goa, the impressive se cathedral is architecturally portuguese-gothic in style, the exterior being tuscan and the interior corinthian. Old goa is today a quiet and charming place, far from the madding crowd of the capital at panaji. Its incredible cultural heritage adds to its popularity as a tourist destination.