Jew Town is located in Mattancherry in the southern Indian city of Kochi. The history of Jew Town dates back to 1492 when a group of Sephardic Jews came to Kochi after being expelled from the Iberian Peninsula. In 1524 more Jews faced persecution and were granted refuge by the Raja of Cochin who granted them land near his own palace. In 1568 the Paradesi Synagogue, which still functions today and is the oldest in India, was built, and the Jew Town neighbourhood developed around it.
One of the main attractions is the narrow street that runs between Mattancherry Palace and the synagogue. The street is lined on either side with antique shops that have anything that could remotely be described as antique on display. Visitors will find figurines, statuettes, carved wooden furniture, mirrors, wall hangings, paintings, lamps, photographs, crockery, jewellery and much more.