Kuriakose was selected as conservation consultant for the Muziris Heritage Project in 2007.
Muziris is not just a place.
It is a concept and the project was an attempt to educate future generations about heritage, and to throw light on Kerala’s pan-Indian and international trade links.
The project's artifacts and monuments are spread out over an area of 150 km², and Kuriakose's team has located clusters, including 400 buildings of historic importance and architectural interest.

It is an alternate approach to heritage management, and the biggest challenge was to develop a concept which suits the local context.
The Muziris Heritage Project has many dimensions.
It is an educational project, a developmental project and a model for sustainable tourism.
The project was the brainchild of Dr. Thomas Isaac, who had grown up in the area.
An economics professor from the Centre for Development Studies, he became the finance minister of Kerala in 2006.
He envisioned Muziris as a non-formal education project for future generations.

The project involved the conservation of Paliam Palace, Paravur Synagogue, Kottappuram Fort, Kottappuram Market and many other historic structures in the Muziris area It has set a precedent in India for adopting an integrated approach to heritage conservation and regional development.
The project also envisages features such as interactive museums, visitor centres, a virtual reconstruction centre, facilities to travel by boat on the River Periyar to various monuments, cycle tours of the area and circuit tours, to name a few.
Floated in 2008, it is India's largest conservation project, spread over 25 sites, and links Kerala's histories of Dutch, Arabic, Chinese, Jewish, Greek, Portuguese and Roman roots in the forgotten port of Muziris from 1st Century BC onward.

The restoration of Cheraman Juma Mosque, the oldest mosque in India, removing all the modern appendages is an offshoot of the Muziris Heritage Project.
The decision to replace the new chapel in the Kottappuram market with the old was taken by the congregation.
The mosque and chapel are just two of the structures that are being transformed as a result of this initiative, coming up in a 150 km (93.21 mi) 150 square km area in central Kerala, in Ernakulam and Thrissur districts.

When the project is completed, it will be a walk through 3,000 years of history of the southern Indian state of Kerala.
The place is very special since this is where Jews, Arabs, Greeks, Portuguese, Dutch and the British etc.
came together.
Three religions came to India through this port namely Judaism, Christianity and Islam.

The Muziris Heritage Project set a precedent in India for adopting an integrated approach to heritage conservation and regional development.
Kuriakose was selected as conservation consultant for the Muziris Heritage Project in 2007. Muziris is not just a place. It is a concept and the project was an attempt to educate future generations about heritage, and to throw light on Kerala’s pan-Indian and international trade links. The project's artifacts and monuments are spread out over an area of 150 km², and Kuriakose's team has located clusters, including 400 buildings of historic importance and architectural interest.
It is an alternate approach to heritage management, and the biggest challenge was to develop a concept which suits the local context. The Muziris Heritage Project has many dimensions. It is an educational project, a developmental project and a model for sustainable tourism. The project was the brainchild of Dr. Thomas Isaac, who had grown up in the area. An economics professor from the Centre for Development Studies, he became the finance minister of Kerala in 2006. He envisioned Muziris as a non-formal education project for future generations.
The project involved the conservation of Paliam Palace, Paravur Synagogue, Kottappuram Fort, Kottappuram Market and many other historic structures in the Muziris area It has set a precedent in India for adopting an integrated approach to heritage conservation and regional development. The project also envisages features such as interactive museums, visitor centres, a virtual reconstruction centre, facilities to travel by boat on the River Periyar to various monuments, cycle tours of the area and circuit tours, to name a few. Floated in 2008, it is India's largest conservation project, spread over 25 sites, and links Kerala's histories of Dutch, Arabic, Chinese, Jewish, Greek, Portuguese and Roman roots in the forgotten port of Muziris from 1st Century BC onward.
The restoration of Cheraman Juma Mosque, the oldest mosque in India, removing all the modern appendages is an offshoot of the Muziris Heritage Project. The decision to replace the new chapel in the Kottappuram market with the old was taken by the congregation. The mosque and chapel are just two of the structures that are being transformed as a result of this initiative, coming up in a 150 km (93.21 mi) 150 square km area in central Kerala, in Ernakulam and Thrissur districts.
When the project is completed, it will be a walk through 3,000 years of history of the southern Indian state of Kerala. The place is very special since this is where Jews, Arabs, Greeks, Portuguese, Dutch and the British etc. came together. Three religions came to India through this port namely Judaism, Christianity and Islam.
The Muziris Heritage Project set a precedent in India for adopting an integrated approach to heritage conservation and regional development.
Benny Kuriakose