▁manuscript s , ▁the ▁oldest ▁d ating ▁to ▁the ▁ 9 th ▁century . ▁In ▁ 5 2 2 ▁AD , ▁he ▁visited ▁the ▁Mal ab ar ▁Coast ▁( S outh ▁India ). ▁He ▁is ▁the ▁first ▁trav eller ▁to ▁mention ▁Sy rian ▁Christians ▁in ▁present - day ▁Ker ala ▁in ▁India . ▁He ▁wrote , ▁" In ▁the ▁Island ▁of ▁T ap rob ane ▁( C ey lon ), ▁there ▁is ▁a ▁church ▁of ▁the ▁Christians , ▁and ▁cler ks ▁and ▁faithful . ▁Like wise ▁at ▁Mal é ▁where ▁the ▁pe pper ▁grows ; ▁and ▁in ▁the ▁town ▁of ▁Kal li ana , ▁The ▁present ▁Day ▁Kal yan ▁where ▁Com as ▁used ▁to ▁rule , ▁there ▁is ▁also ▁a ▁bishop ▁consec r ated ▁in ▁Pers ia ." ▁ ▁Christian ▁Top ography ▁ ▁A ▁major ▁feature ▁of ▁his ▁Top ograph ia ▁is ▁Cos mas ' ▁world view ▁that ▁the ▁world ▁is ▁flat , ▁and ▁that ▁the ▁heav ens ▁form ▁the ▁shape ▁of ▁a ▁box ▁with ▁a ▁cur ved ▁lid . ▁He ▁was ▁sc orn ful ▁of ▁P to le my ▁and ▁others ▁who ▁held ▁that ▁the ▁world ▁was ▁spher ical . ▁Cos mas ▁aim ed ▁to ▁prove ▁that ▁pre - Christ ian ▁ge ograph ers ▁had ▁been ▁wrong ▁in ▁as ser ting ▁that ▁the ▁earth ▁was ▁spher ical ▁and ▁that ▁it ▁was ▁in ▁fact ▁model led ▁on ▁the ▁tab ern acle , ▁the ▁house ▁of ▁worship ▁described ▁to ▁Mos es ▁by ▁God ▁during ▁the ▁Jewish ▁Ex od us ▁from ▁Egypt . ▁However ,