Mellieħa

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Mellieħa [me-lee-ha] (also called Il-Mellieħa) is a large village (pop. 7,549 (Nov 2005)) in the northwestern part of Malta. It is a popular tourist destination during the summer months.

Mellieha Bay, with the village and its church in the background

1 Architecture
2 Popeye Village
3 Feast of Our Lady of Victories
4 External links

[edit] Architecture

Ruins and tombs show Mellieħa to have been inhabited from Neolithic times to the Byzantine era, but the area was deserted after the Arab conquest (870), likely due to frequent raids by Muslim corsairs. In 1530 the island was handed over to the Knights of Malta, and Mellieħa was one of the many settlements they established, complete with fortifications and a church: The Sanctuary of Our Lady of Mellieħa, which became one of the island's most venerated places.

[edit] Popeye Village

Main article: Popeye Village

Mellieħa is now a tourist resort, featuring Malta's largest sandy beach, Għadira. Another popular attraction is the set of the 1980 film Popeye. A short drive away from Għadira, the set is a collection of various ramshackle buildings that made up the city of Sweethaven. The 'town' was originally built using several thousand planks, eight tons of nails, and 2,000 gallons of paint. To this day the set draws a considerable amount of tourism, with daily Popeye-related shows taking place for the tourists.

[edit] Feast of Our Lady of Victories

Each village in Malta has its own festival. The festival in Mellieħa, the feast of Our Lady of Victories, begins on August 30 and culminates on September 8, commemorating the repelling of the Great Siege in 1565.

[edit] External links

edit	Local Councils of Malta
Malta Island
Attard \| Balzan \| Birgu (Vittoriosa) \| Birkirkara \| Birżebbuġa \| Bormla (Cospicua) \| Dingli \| Fgura \| Floriana \| Gudja \| Gżira \| Għargħur \| Għaxaq \| Ħamrun \| Iklin \| Isla (Senglea) \| Kalkara \| Kirkop \| Lija \| Luqa \| Marsa \| Marsaskala \| Marsaxlokk \| Mdina \| Mellieħa \| Mġarr \| Mosta \| Mqabba \| Msida \| Mtarfa \| Naxxar \| Paola \| Pembroke \| Pietà \| Qormi \| Qrendi \| Rabat \| Safi \| San Ġiljan (St. Julian's) \| Santa Luċija \| San Pawl il-Baħar (St. Paul's Bay) \| San Ġwann \| Santa Venera \| Siġġiewi \| Sliema \| Swieqi \| Ta' Xbiex \| Tarxien \| Valletta \| Xgħajra \| Żabbar \| Żebbuġ \| Żejtun \| Żurrieq
Gozo Island
Fontana \| Għajnsielem \| Għarb \| Għasri \| Kerċem \| Munxar \| Nadur \| Qala \| Rabat (Victoria) \| San Lawrenz \| Sannat \| Xagħra \| Xewkija \| Żebbuġ