Goa, Aug. 19 -- Once a sprawling hub of military and naval power, the Arsenal of Old Goa stood west of the Aljube and the Royal Hospital, housing docks, a mint, a gun foundry, workshops, and even a parish church. Today, nothing remains but ruins, yet historical accounts paint a vivid picture of its grandeur and significance.

The arsenal predates the Portuguese conquest and existed during the Adil Shahi period. When Afonso de Albuquerque captured Goa in 1510, Adil Khan's men abandoned the fortified site. The spoils left behind included 40 large ships, 26 brigs, numerous pinnaces, 40 heavy guns, 200 muskets, gunpowder, copper, iron, and other war materials. British historian Frederick Charles Danvers later noted that Albuquerque found "for...