History so old, it’s unbelievable!

Tranquebar's history stretches back to the 14th century. The oldest monument here is the Masilamaninathar Temple, which was built in 1306. Tranquebar belonged to the Thanjavur Nayak kingdom until the Danes saw its potential as a trading centre and built Fort Dansborg in 1620.

Before the Danes, there was also a Jesuit Catholic congregation and a sizable Indo-Portuguese community. Protestant missions began here in 1705, led by Bartholomäus Ziegenbalg, who translated the Bible into Tamil. The Zion Church, India's oldest Protestant church, was also consecrated here in 1701.

Briefly occupied by the British in 1808, Tranquebar returned to Danish control until sold to the British in 1845. Its importance waned with the arrival of a railway to Nagapattinam.

From Danish influences, to now a cultural museum

This 17th-century fort, the second-largest Danish fort after Kronborg in Helsingør, features a large four-sided rampart wall with bastions at each corner.

Inside, there's a single-storey building housing barracks, warehouses, a kitchen, and a jail. A two-storey building on the eastern side served as the main structure, with the lower floor for storage and the upper floor for the church and living quarters. Protected by the sea on the eastern and western sides, the fort was surrounded by a moat, now vanished.

Tranquebar Museum, located inside, exhibits relics from the Vijayanagara empire and Thanjavur Nayak kingdom, including porcelain ware, manuscripts, glass objects, and weaponry.