Tanur, Malappuram  Tanur is a small Town and municipality in Malappuram district in the Indian state of Kerala, located on the coast north of Tirur. Its ancient name was Tyndis. Tanur was a part of the kingdom of the same name in medieval times. Later it became part of Kingdom of Zamorin. The name "Tanur(Thanni-ur)" is derived from the Malayalam language. "Thanni" refers to the Bastard myrobalan tree, "Terminalia bellirica", while "ur" refers to the village. This was once a Portuguese colony. It is believed that "St. Francis Xavier" visited Tanur in 1546AD. Tanur village is a predominantly Muslim populated area. So the culture of the locality is based upon Muslim traditions. Duff Muttu, Kolkali and Aravanamuttu are common folk arts of this locality. There are many libraries attached to mosques giving a rich source of Islamic studies. Most of the books are written in Arabi-Malayalam which is a version of the Malayalam language written in Arabic script. People gather in mosques for the evening prayer and continue to sit there after the prayers discussing social and cultural issues. Business and family issues are also sorted out during these evening meetings. The Hindu minority of this area keeps their rich traditions by celebrating various festivals in their temples. Hindu rituals are done here with a regular devotion like other parts of Kerala. Tanur railway station, in the heart of the town, is located from Malappuram on the Shoranur - Mangalore Section of the Southern Railway. It is one of the oldest railway stations in Kerala and was a part of first rail route (Tirur-Beypore) in Kerala. The nearest airport is Calicut International Airport, which is approximately from the town. Tanur is on the Tirur-Kadalundi road and well connected to all parts of the state. Buses run every 10 minutes to locations including Tirur and Parappanangadi. There are also K.S.R.T.C buses to places such as Calicut, Ernakulam and Guruvayur. On Kadalundy Route  Grama Panchayats in Tanur Block  Islahul Uloom Arabic College in Tanur town is the oldest and first Arabic College in Kerala. It was built in 1924 under the leadership of Pangil Ahmed Kutty Musliyar, a heroic personality who died in 1946.