Fomm ir-Riħ (meaning ''mouth of the wind'' in
Maltese), is a small bay in the limits of
Mġarr
Mġarr ( mt, L-Imġarr), formerly known as ''Mgiarro'', is a village in the Northern Region of Malta. Mġarr is a typical rural village situated in an isolated region, west of Mosta. It is surrounded with rich farmland and vineyards. Many of it ...
on the western side of the island of
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 ...
. The area is characterised by a
fault line
In geology, a fault is a planar fracture or discontinuity in a volume of rock across which there has been significant displacement as a result of rock-mass movements. Large faults within Earth's crust result from the action of plate tectonic ...
which creates an interesting landscape with vertical
cliffs
In geography and geology, a cliff is an area of rock which has a general angle defined by the vertical, or nearly vertical. Cliffs are formed by the processes of weathering and erosion, with the effect of gravity. Cliffs are common on co ...
and a
pebble
A pebble is a clast of rock with a particle size of based on the Udden-Wentworth scale of sedimentology. Pebbles are generally considered larger than granules ( in diameter) and smaller than cobbles ( in diameter). A rock made predominant ...
beach. There is also an unusual
syncline
In structural geology, a syncline is a fold with younger layers closer to the center of the structure, whereas an anticline is the inverse of a syncline. A synclinorium (plural synclinoriums or synclinoria) is a large syncline with superimpose ...
behind the beach.
The bay and headlands form one of the most stunning scenic views and varied geology on the Maltese islands.
Public access to the quiet pebble beach is disputed with only one road which is currently illegally blocked. Access to the beach is now a narrow path cut into the side of the steep cliff and a climb down to the beach.
The area is also famous for its
Maltese freshwater crab that makes its home high above the bay and the sea.
In the mid-17th century,
Blat Mogħża Tower was built near Fomm ir-Riħ, but it collapsed in the 18th century and it was never rebuilt. In the 19th century, a
redoubt
A redoubt (historically redout) is a fort or fort system usually consisting of an enclosed defensive emplacement outside a larger fort, usually relying on earthworks, although some are constructed of stone or brick. It is meant to protect soldi ...
was built in the area as part of the
Victoria Lines
The Victoria Lines, originally known as the North West Front, are a line of fortifications that spans 12 kilometres along the width of Malta, dividing the north of the island from the more heavily populated south.
Location
The Victoria Lines ru ...
.
Cart ruts
On Ras il-Pellegrin, the headland north of Fomm ir-Riħ Bay, there are puzzling
cart ruts
A cart or dray (Australia and New Zealand) is a vehicle designed for transport, using two wheels and normally pulled by one or a pair of draught animals. A handcart is pulled or pushed by one or more people.
It is different from the flatbed t ...
that lead off the cliff top.
[Hughes, K. "Persistent Features from a Palaeo-Landscape: The Ancient Tracks of the Maltese Islands" ''The Geographical Journal'', 1999]
Notes
External links
* WWF - Natura 2000 in the New EU Member State
Malta (Fomm Ir-Rih and Syncline on page 103)''* Malta Vist
Bays of Malta
Mġarr
{{Malta-geo-stub