Hampi is a UNESCO World Heritage Site located in east-central Karnataka, India. It became the center of the Hindu Vijayanagara Empire capital in the 14th century. Chronicles left by Persian and European travelers, particularly the Portuguese, state Hampi was a prosperous, wealthy and grand city near the Tungabhadra River, with numerous temples, farms and trading markets. By 1500 CE, Hampi-Vijayanagara was the world's second-largest medieval-era city after Beijing.