On the banks of the Tungabhadra River, close to the modern town of Hospet, is the ancient town of Hampi in the Indian state of Karnataka. When you visit Hampi, you can see that it was once the magnificent capital of the Vijayanagara Empire, but now much of it is in ruins.

They are now listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Hampi is most closely associated with the Vijayanagara Kings, who ruled here for more than 200 years beginning in 1336 AD, despite the fact that the settlement itself and many of the temples date back many centuries.

It was full of traders, merchants, and bustling markets in the 14th century. It was a very wealthy and prosperous metropolitan city, according to historical documents left behind by Portuguese and Persian traders.