Saint Mark's Tower ( mt, Torri ta' San Mark), originally known as ''Torre del Cortin'' and also known as Qalet Marku Tower ( mt, Torri ta' Qalet Marku), is a small

watchtower A watchtower or watch tower is a type of fortification used in many parts of the world. It differs from a regular tower in that its primary use is military and from a turret in that it is usually a freestanding structure. Its main purpose is to ...

in Baħar iċ-Ċagħaq, limits of

Naxxar Naxxar ( mt, In-Naxxar) is a small city in the Northern Region of Malta, with a population of 14,891 people as of March 2014. The Naxxar Church is dedicated to Our Lady of Victories. The annual village feast is celebrated on 8 September. Naxx ...

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 was completed in 1658 as the third of the

De Redin towers The De Redin Towers ( mt, Torrijiet ta' De Redin) are a series of small coastal watchtowers built in Malta by the Order of Saint John between 1658 and 1659. Thirteen towers were built around the coast of mainland Malta, eight of which still surv ...

. Today, the tower is in good condition.

History

Saint Mark's Tower was built in 1658 on Qrejten Point in Baħar iċ-Ċagħaq, on the north shore of Malta. It was built on or near the site of a medieval watch post. It has sight of Għallis Tower to the west, and

Madliena Tower Madliena Tower ( mt, Torri tal-Madliena), originally known as ''Torre della Paulina'', is a small watchtower in Madliena, limits of Pembroke, Malta. It was completed in 1658 as the fourth of the De Redin towers. The British built an artillery ba ...

to the east. Construction of the tower cost 408 scudi. The tower follows the standard design of the De Redin towers, having a square plan with two floors and a turret on the roof. In 1741, a fougasse was built close to the tower, and it was believed to have been lost until it was rediscovered during road works in the area in 2014. The tower was no longer operational by 1743, however in 1792 the Congregation of War ordered that the tower be rearmed with a 3-pounder iron gun. The British built a small guard room in front of the tower, but this is now in ruins.

Present day

Saint Mark's Tower is managed by

Din l-Art Ħelwa () is a non-governmental and non-profit, voluntary organisation founded in 1965 by Maltese Judge Maurice Caruana Curran to safeguard Malta's cultural heritage and natural environment. Since its foundation, Din l-Art Ħelwa has restored numerous ...

, who restored it in 1997. The tower is in good condition, but the area around it has been criticized for the amount of litter left there, mainly from people camping on the peninsula. The tower is open to the public by appointment.

References

External links

National Inventory of the Cultural Property of the Maltese Islands
{{Historic Watch Towers of Malta, east=

, west= Għallis Tower De Redin towers Towers completed in 1658 Naxxar National Inventory of the Cultural Property of the Maltese Islands 1658 establishments in Malta