The Archaeological Museum of Goa was established in 1964 by the Archaeological Survey of India. Located in a convent that was formerly attached to the Church of St. Francis of Assisi, a heritage structure, the museum is situated in Old Goa or Velha Goa and is surrounded by several other monuments and ancient churches. The entrance of the Museum is facilitated by a 3.10m high bronze statue of Afonso de Albuquerque, the Governor General and Captain of the Seas of India, who played a key role in conquering Old Goa in 1510 CE. He is an important figure in Portuguese colonial history as he consolidated Portuguese control over Goa by destroying the Arab monopoly over maritime trade. The first amongst the Museum’s eight galleries introduces visitors to pre-colonial Goa through a conjectural blueprint of the ancient city of Chandor (the capital of Goa during early historical times), a 13th century Vishnu statue along with hero-stones carved with scenes of naval battles and heroic victories and sati stones representing the Hindu practice of widow immolation. A chief attraction of this gallery is a 3.6 m high bronze statue of Luis Vaz de Camoes (AD 1524-1580), the national poet of Portugal. Gallery 2 has ruins of the ancient Saptakoteshwar Temple on the nearby Divar island and a life-size image of St. Catherine, the patroness of Goa. Gallery 3 displays sculptures of Hindu deities and three images of Vetala, the god of a unique cult called ‘Bhoot Aaradhna’ that worships demi-gods from the underworld and is popular in the western region of India. Gallery number 4 shows hero stones and sati stones from the medieval period and a diorama containing the original bone relic of Queen Ketevan of the kingdom of Georgia, on the southern border of Russia. The remaining galleries contain Arabic and Persian inscriptions, portraits of Portuguese Governors and Viceroys of Goa and a model of a 16th century Portuguese ship. The Museum also records Goa’s historical role as an important maritime trade point through medieval hero-stones which represent naval battles in the Kadamba period. The navigation gallery also displays the model of a 16th century Portuguese ship along with stone and iron anchors. Moreover, the visitors can witness the old Portuguese currency (Escudo) as well as the vintage indigenous currencies Pardav, Tanga, Xerafins and Rupia in the Museum.