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Ħamrija Tower
Ħamrija Tower ( mt, Torri tal-Ħamrija), originally known as ''Torre della Pietra Nigra'' ( mt, Torri tal-Ħaġra s-Sewda) and also known locally as ''Torri ta' Rsejjen'', is a small watchtower in Qrendi, Malta. It was completed in 1659 as the twelfth of the De Redin towers. The tower was restored by Heritage Malta and it is now in good condition. History Ħamrija Tower was built in 1659 on a cliff on the southwestern coast of Malta, on the site of a medieval watch post. It is located between Għar Lapsi, which is part of Siġġiewi, and Wied iż-Żurrieq, which is part of Qrendi. It has excellent views of the island of Filfla. The tower is located a few hundred meters from two Neolithic temple sites, Mnajdra and Ħaġar Qim, although these had not yet been discovered when it was built. The tower's structure is similar to the other De Redin towers, having a square base with two floors. The entrance is on the upper floor, which can be reached by a retractable ladder. The neares ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
De Redin Towers
The De Redin Towers ( mt, Torrijiet ta' De Redin) are a series of small coastal watchtowers built in Malta by the Knights Hospitaller, Order of Saint John between 1658 and 1659. Thirteen towers were built around the coast of Malta (island), mainland Malta, eight of which still survive. The Mġarr ix-Xini Tower, which was built on Gozo in 1661 after the death of de Redin, has a design similar to the De Redin towers. History Background and construction The Spanish knight Martin de Redin was elected List of Grand Masters of the Knights Hospitaller, Grand Master of the Order of St. John on 17 August 1657. In March 1658, he contributed 6428 Maltese scudo, scudi for the construction of 13 new watchtowers to strengthen the existing coastal defence system, which consisted mainly of the Wignacourt towers, Wignacourt and Lascaris towers. The design of the new towers was based on the Sciuta Tower, one of the Lascaris towers, which had been built in Wied iż-Żurrieq in 1638. Each tower ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Ħamrun
Hamrun (; ) is a town in the Southern Region, Malta, Southern Region of Malta, with a population of 9,244 as of March 2014. The people The townspeople are traditionally known as ''Tas-Sikkina'' (literally meaning 'of the knife' or 'those who carry a knife') or as ''Ta' Werwer'' (which literally means 'those who scare' or more colloquially, 'the scary ones'). This appellation could stem from the fact that a considerable number of used to work as stevedores on the docks and thus carried a knife at all times. Another theory was that the community of Sicilians who settled here illegally in the 16th century danced a traditional dance which involved the wielding of small stilettos which they carried in their socks, waving them in the air and back to their sheaths. Notable residents George Preca, San Ġorġ Preca (founder of the Society of Christian Doctrine) although born in Valletta, lived most of his life in Hamrun. He is buried in a Chapel in Hamrun. It is the home town of former ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Towers Completed In 1659
A tower is a tall structure, taller than it is wide, often by a significant factor. Towers are distinguished from masts by their lack of guy-wires and are therefore, along with tall buildings, self-supporting structures. Towers are specifically distinguished from buildings in that they are built not to be habitable but to serve other functions using the height of the tower. For example, the height of a clock tower improves the visibility of the clock, and the height of a tower in a fortified building such as a castle increases the visibility of the surroundings for defensive purposes. Towers may also be built for observation, leisure, or telecommunication purposes. A tower can stand alone or be supported by adjacent buildings, or it may be a feature on top of a larger structure or building. Etymology Old English ''torr'' is from Latin ''turris'' via Old French ''tor''. The Latin term together with Greek τύρσις was loaned from a pre-Indo-European Mediterranean langua ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Sciuta Tower
Sciuta Tower ( mt, Torri ta' Xuta), also known as Sciutu Tower ( mt, Torri ta' Xutu) or Wied iż-Żurrieq Tower ( mt, Torri ta' Wied iż-Żurrieq), is a small watchtower in Qrendi, Malta. It was completed in 1638 as the fifth of the Lascaris towers. The tower was restored by Din l-Art Ħelwa. History Sciutu Tower (aka locally as Torri ta’ Xutu and Torri Sciuto) was built in 1637–1638 in Wied iż-Żurrieq, located within the Qrendi boundaries, on the site of a medieval watch post. It served as the prototype for the De Redin towers, which were built between 1658 and . After the British took over Malta in 1800, Sciutu Tower remained in use and was manned by the Royal Malta Fencible Regiment and later the Royal Malta Fencible Artillery. It was abandoned in 1873 but was manned by the Coast Police once again during World War II. The tower subsequently used as a police station until 2002. An original cannon dating back to the Order's rule can still be found on the tower's roof. Pre ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Santa Venera
Santa Venera is a town in the Central Region of Malta, with a population of 8,834 (2021). It is located between the towns of Birkirkara and Ħamrun, and it also borders Qormi and Msida. History The Old Church of Santa Venera was built in 1473, and it was enlarged in 1500, rebuilt between 1658 and 1688 and again in the 19th century. This church remained as the parish church until 1989. A new church was blessed in 2005. In 1610, Grandmaster Alof de Wignacourt financed the building of the Wignacourt Aqueduct to transport water from springs in Rabat and Dingli to the capital Valletta, passing through various towns along the way including Santa Venera. The Aqueduct was finished in 1615, and an ornamental gateway was built where it crossed the road between what is now Fleur-de-Lys and Santa Venera. The arches stopped at a tower known as ''it-Turretta'' (the Turret) also known as ''Tower Guard'', also in Santa Venera. From this tower, water continued its journey to Ħamrun, Blata l ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Walter Norris Congreve
General (United Kingdom), General Sir Walter Norris Congreve, (20 November 1862 – 28 February 1927), was a British Army officer in the Second Boer War and the First World War, and Governor of Malta from 1924 to 1927. He received the Victoria Cross, the highest award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to British and Commonwealth of Nations, Commonwealth forces. Early life Walter Norris Congreve was the son of William and Fanny E. Congreve of Castle Church, Stafford. He was educated at Twyford School, Harrow School and Pembroke College, Oxford. Early military career Congreve was commissioned a Lieutenant (British Army and Royal Marines), lieutenant in the Rifle Brigade (Prince Consort's Own), Rifle Brigade on 7 February 1885 and promoted to Captain (BARM), captain on 6 December 1893. Second Boer War The Second Boer War started in October 1899 with a Boer offensive into the British-held Natal Colony, Natal and Cape Colony areas. Congreve arrived in South ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Sciutu Tower
Sciuta Tower ( mt, Torri ta' Xuta), also known as Sciutu Tower ( mt, Torri ta' Xutu) or Wied iż-Żurrieq Tower ( mt, Torri ta' Wied iż-Żurrieq), is a small watchtower in Qrendi, Malta. It was completed in 1638 as the fifth of the Lascaris towers The Laskaris or Lascaris ( el, Λάσκαρις, later Λάσκαρης) family was a Byzantine Greek noble family whose members formed the ruling dynasty of the Empire of Nicaea from 1204 to 1261 and remained among the senior nobility up to the d .... The tower was restored by Din l-Art Ħelwa. History Sciutu Tower (aka locally as Torri ta’ Xutu and Torri Sciuto) was built in 1637–1638 in Wied iż-Żurrieq, located within the Qrendi boundaries, on the site of a medieval watch post. It served as the prototype for the De Redin towers, which were built between 1658 and . After the British took over Malta in 1800, Sciutu Tower remained in use and was manned by the Royal Malta Fencible Regiment and later the Royal Malta Fencib ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Ħaġar Qim
Ħaġar Qim (; "Standing/Worshipping Stones") is a megalithic temple complex found on the Mediterranean island of Malta, dating from the Ġgantija phase (3600-3200 BC). The Megalithic Temples of Malta are among the most ancient religious sites on Earth, described by the World Heritage Sites committee as "unique architectural masterpieces." In 1992 UNESCO recognized Ħaġar Qim and four other Maltese megalithic structures as World Heritage Sites. V. Gordon Childe, Professor of Prehistoric European Archeology and director of the Institute of Archaeology in the University of London from 1946-1957 visited Ħaġar Qim. He wrote, "I have been visiting the prehistoric ruins all round the Mediterranean, from Mesopotamia to Egypt, Greece and Switzerland, but I have nowhere seen a place as old as this one." Ħaġar Qim's builders used globigerina limestone in the temple's construction. As a result of this, the temple has suffered from severe weathering and surface flaking ove ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Mnajdra
Mnajdra ( mt, L-Imnajdra) is a megalithic temple complex found on the southern coast of the Mediterranean island of Malta. Mnajdra is approximately from the Ħaġar Qim megalithic complex. Mnajdra was built around the fourth millennium BCE; the Megalithic Temples of Malta are among the most ancient religious sites on Earth, described by the World Heritage Sites committee as "unique architectural masterpieces." In 1992 UNESCO recognized the Mnajdra complex and four other Maltese megalithic structures as UNESCO World Heritage Sites. In 2009 work was completed on a protective tent. Design Mnajdra is made of coralline limestone, which is much harder than the soft globigerina limestone of Ħaġar Qim. The main structural systems used in the temples are corbelling with smaller stones, and post and lintel construction using large slabs of limestone. The cloverleaf plan of Mnajdra appears more regular than that of Ħagar Qim, and seems reminiscent of the earlier complex at G ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Siġġiewi
Siġġiewi ( mt, Is-Siġġiewi, ), also called by its title Città Ferdinand, is a city and a local council in the Southern Region of Malta. It is the third largest council in Malta by surface area, after Rabat and Mellieħa respectively. It is situated on a plateau, a few kilometres away from Mdina, the ancient capital city of Malta, and away from Valletta, the contemporary capital. It is the home of 8367 inhabitants as of March 2014. Until several decades ago, most of the population was employed in the fields which surround the village. In 1993, the city adopted the motto ''Labore et Virtute'' (Work and Virtue). History In its demographic and topographical formation, Siġġiewi followed a pattern common to other villages in Malta. Before the arrival of the Order of St John in 1530, there were other thriving hamlets in the area. Little by little Ħal Xluq, Ħal Kbir, Ħal Niklusi and Ħal Qdieri were absorbed in Siġġiewi and today only their secluded chapels remain. The ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Għar Lapsi
Għar Lapsi is a small bay near Siġġiewi, Malta Malta ( , , ), officially the Republic of Malta ( mt, Repubblika ta' Malta ), is an island country in the Mediterranean Sea. It consists of an archipelago, between Italy and Libya, and is often considered a part of Southern Europe. It lies .... It lies about 1 km south-west of the Blue Grotto. Caves of Malta Bays of Malta Underwater diving sites in Malta Siġġiewi {{Malta-geo-stub ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
