Kozhikode (Calicut; Malayalam: കോഴിക്കോട്) is the third largest city and second largest urban agglomeration in Kerala, India. Covering 128 sq km (49 sq mi), it has a population of 432,000 people (2012 estimate), within a metropolitan area of 2 million people.
The history of Kozhikode, which was known by the anglicized Calicut until recent decades. Ancient traders as far back as the Phoenicians have arrived here to trade. The city was mentioned in ancient Chinese chronicles as well as by famous Arab traveler, Ibn Batuta, whole mentioned Kozhikode in the 14th century.
The Portuguese established their presence in the Kozhikode area since 1498, when Vasco da Gama arrived. They built a fort at Chaliyam, at the mouth of the Baypore River. The Portuguese was eventually ousted by the Dutch, while the English and French also arrived in the area.
Today Kozhikode is one of the commercial hubs of Kerala. Its economy is based on trading. It is also rapidly industrializing, and as two IT parks being built in the area.
As a tourist destination, Kozhikode is famous for its boat-building tradition. There are also a number of temples and churches worth visiting. The people here speak Malayali.
Muchundi Mosque, one of the oldest mosques in Kozhikode
The Kozhikode International Airport receives flights from Bengaluru, Chennai, Kochi, Mumbai and Thiruvananthapuram. There are regular train services to Kozhikode from Chennai, Mumbai and other major cities of India.
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Dear visitor, thank you so much for reading this page. My name is Timothy Tye and my hobby is to find out about places, write about them and share the information with you on this website. I have been writing this site since 5 January 2003. Originally (from 2003 until 2009, the site was called AsiaExplorers. I changed the name to Penang Travel Tips in 2009, even though I describe more than just Penang but everywhere I go (I often need to tell people that "Penang Travel Tips" is not just information about Penang, but information written in Penang), especially places in Malaysia and Singapore, and in all the years since 2003, I have described over 20,000 places.
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