The Muxrabija (from the Arabic ''

mashrabiya A ''mashrabiya'' or ''mashrabiyya'' ( ar, مشربية) is an architectural element which is characteristic of traditional architecture in the Islamic world and beyond. It is a type of projecting oriel window enclosed with carved wood latticew ...

'', peep-box; plural ''muxrabijet'') is a typical element of vernacular Maltese architecture. It consists of an ornate timber screen, perforated with an intricate network of holes, tightly fitted into a window or loggia projecting from the facade of the building, usually over the main door or to its side. Stone-carved muxrabijiet are also reported. The muxrabija is also known as ‘in-nemmiesa’, ‘ix-xerriefa’ and in

Gozo Gozo (, ), Maltese: ''Għawdex'' () and in antiquity known as Gaulos ( xpu, 𐤂𐤅𐤋, ; grc, Γαῦλος, Gaúlos), is an island in the Maltese archipelago in the Mediterranean Sea. The island is part of the Republic of Malta. After t ...

as ‘il-kixxiefa’ or ‘lkixxijìja’ and ‘il-glusija’ (probably from the French ''jalousie''). Muxrabijet and roundels (round motifs sculpted on building facades) are the only two features of vernacular Maltese architecture directly deriving from Arabic culture. The muxrabija is a typical Mediterranean feature, whose oldest record dates back to the 7th century in the Middle East. The oldest-surviving muxrabijet in Malta date back to the years 1300–1400. Muxrabijet had the task to keep the interior of the building cool by allowing circulation of air through the carved wood. They were also used as cooling device for storing water, and as a security measure to observe the outside without being seen.

List of muxrabijet in Malta

* Tal-Karmnu Street, Victoria Gozo * Sqaq il-Qajjied, Siggiewi * 84, Santu Rokku Street,

Birkirkara Birkirkara (abbreviated as B'Kara) is a city in the central region of Malta. It is the second most populous on the island, with 24,356 inhabitants as of 2020. The town consists of five autonomous parishes: Saint Helen, Saint Joseph the Worker, Ou ...

- House of Censu Borg (Brared), stone muxrabija with decorative style * Ta’ Ghammar, Gozo * Il-Knisja Street,

Gharb Al Gharbiyah ( ar, ٱلْـغَـرْبِـيَّـة 'western'), or Gharb ( 'west'), or variants may refer to: * Al Gharbia, Abu Dhabi * Western Region, Bahrain * Għarb, Gozo, Malta * Gharbia Governorate, Egypt * Gharb Al-Andalus or Al-Gharb, for ...

* Doni Street, Rabat Malta * Ta’ Monita,

Marsascala Marsaskala ( mt, Wied il-Għajn), also written as Marsascala and abbreviated as M'Skala, is a seaside town in the South Eastern Region of Malta which has grown around the small harbour at the head of Marsaskala Bay, a long, narrow inlet also know ...

Bibliography

* Joe Azzopardi, "A Survey of the Maltese Muxrabijiet (Part 2)"
VIGILO - DIN L-ART HELWA, October 2012

Notes

Architecture in Malta {{architecture-stub