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These are Maltese selected localities which appear on Portal:Malta.
Marsaskala is a modest sea-side village in Malta that has grown up around the small harbour at the head of Marsaskala Bay, a long narrow inlet also known as Marsaskala Creek (inset picture). The bay is sheltered to the north by Ras iż-Żonqor, the south-east corner of Malta, and to the south by the headland of Ras il-Gżira.
The village extends along both sides of the bay, and across most of
Il-Ħamrija, locally nicknamed as
Siberia due to its exposure to icy northerly winds in
winter and because buildings there are deemed to be too cut off from the centre of the village and church area. Marsaskala boasts a rather modern church, and a very pleasant promenade of shops, restaurants and coffee shops along the long stretch of
waterfront. The shore north of Ras iż-Żonqor is of low cliffs, with shelving rock ledges south of the point. Marsaskala Bay is largely edged by
promenade, with low shelving rock ledges cut with salt pans on the seaward face of Ras iċ-Ċerna, which continue on round the eastern point, past l-Abjad iż-Żgħir, and into Il-Bajja ta' San Tumas (Saint Thomas Bay) to the south. (
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Birgu (also called
Il-Birgu or
Vittoriosa) is a small city in
Malta that played a vital role in the
Siege of Malta in
1565. It is one of the three best-known cities on this small island nation. Its current population is of 2,691. The city was established in 1530 - 1535 on the Great Harbour of Malta around Fort St. Angelo, and served as Malta's principal harbour with
Cospicua and
Senglea. When the
Knights of St. John arrived in
1530, they made Birgu the capital city of Malta, since the former capital,
Mdina, was inland and did not suit their naval requirements. (
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Cospicua, is a title given to the city of
Bormla as it is known to the Maltese. It is a double-fortified harbour city on the Mediterranean island of
Malta. It is the largest of the
Three Cities. It was also given a title as
Citta' Cottonera, but erroneously the title is now used to define the whole region. It is situated between the other two towns which make up Cottonera which are
Vittoriosa (Birgu) and
Senglea (Isla). These three towns form part of the area surrounding the
Grand Harbour and are found on the eastern side of the capital city
Valletta. Its population is of 5,642. Cospicua was inhabited since Neolithic times and the last to be fortified. Its lines of majestic bastions, built by the
Knights of Malta, are a sight to behold for sheer size and magnitude. In
1722, Grand Master
Marc'Antonio Zondadari declared it a city and in view of its strong bastions named it
Città Cospicua. (
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Dingli (or
Ħad-Dingli) is a small town in the west coast of
Malta, with a population of 3,326 persons, 13 kilometers from the capital
Valletta and two kilometers from the nearest city,
Rabat. The village lies on a plateau some 250 metres above sea level, which is the highest point of Malta. The area provides not only open sea views over the tiny, uninhabited isle of
Filfla, but also an excellent vantage point over Malta. From the cliffs there are views inland of nearby
Buskett Gardens and Verdala Palace. The countryside here is ideal for walking. (
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Senglea is a fortified
city in the east of
Malta, mainly in the Grand Harbour area. It is one of the
Three Cities, with the other two being
Cospicua and
Vittoriosa. The city of Senglea is also called
Citta Invicta, because it managed to resist the
Ottoman invasion at the
Great Siege of 1565. The proper name is Senglea since the grandmaster who built it Claude De La Sengle, gave this city a part of his name. The island was in fact joined by a landbridge to Cospicua during the time of the Knights of St. John and as a result, it became
peninsular in shape. During the time of the
Knights of St. John, Senglea was also used as a
hunting area, and was in fact known as
L'Isola di San Giuliano, but later it was developed and made inhabitable by the Grand Master,
Claude de la Sengle who built fortifications following a Turkish invasion in 1551. The locality eventually became known as Senglea but retained its old name Isla. (
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Marsaxlokk is a traditional and pictoresque
fishing village located in the south-eastern part of
Malta, with a population of 3,205 people. The village’s name comes from
marsa, which means "harbour" or "bay" in
Arabic, and
xlokk, which is the local name for the dry
sirocco wind that blows from the Sahara; it is pronounced
mar-sa-shlok. Marsaxlokk is the foremost fishing village and, perhaps, the most picturesque seaside locality in Malta. Fishing nets are often spread on the quay to dry in the sun and, quite often, sturdy fishermen can be seen mending these nets. These activities, together with the modest houses by the quayside, lend the place charm and serenity. (
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Mdina (also called
L-Imdina or
Città Notabile) is the old capital of
Malta. It is a
medieval town, with narrow quiet streets, situated in the centre of the
island. It is also known as the "Silent City". It commands a magnificent view of the Island. Evidence for settlement in Mdina goes back to over
4000 BCE. It was first fortified by the
Phoenicians around
700 BC, probably because of its strategic location on one of the highest points on the island and as far from the sea as possible. When
Malta came under control of the
Roman Empire, the Roman Governor built his
palace there. It was here in
60 CE that the
Apostle St Paul is said to have lived after being shipwrecked on the Islands. The city earned its present day name from the
Saracens who came to Malta around
870 CE. They surrounded the city with thick defensive
walls and a wide
moat, separating it from its nearest town,
Rabat. (
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Mellieħa (pronounced
me-lee-ha), also called
Il-Mellieħa, is a large village in the northwestern part of
Malta. It is a popular tourist destination during the summer months. Mellieħa as a village developed under the British colonization. The British started proposing people to settle in this area by giving leases to the population. It was only during this time that it started to be inhabited again as for two centuries it was abandoned due to fear from attacks of
corsairs and
Saracens, and beforehand there were only some villagers used to live in the area. After the British encouraged Maltese to settle in Mellieħa, the village kept on flourishing. Nowadays, the village also includes a large number of villas. Many foreigners choose to settle in Mellieħa. (
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Msida (or
L-Imsida) is a harbour town in the northeast of
Malta. It has a population of 7,623 inhabitants. Although relatively small, it is one of the most important towns in Malta, since its transportational infrastructure links the capital to the important town of
Sliema. Its name comes from an
Arabic word meaning "a fisherman's dwelling". However it could also be derived from the word 'Omm Sidna' meaning 'The Mother of Our Lord' since there could have been a small chapel dedicated to the
Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of God. Msida was previously an old
fishing village. Although it is now more urbanised, some fishermen still operate in the village. (
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Qormi (pronounced
Or'mee), also known as
Ħal Qormi or
Città Pinto, is a city in
Malta with a population of 16,576. The town is located southwest of
Valletta in the centre of Malta. The town enjoys a
Mediterranean climate with hot, dry, sunny summers and short, cool winters. The neighbouring towns of Qormi are
Marsa,
Luqa and
Żebbuġ. Qormi sits just off a main road between
Mdina and
Valletta. The
patron saints of Qormi are
Saint George and
Saint Sebastian. For two weeks in summer, the town celebrates its two patron saints. The town is also known for its
Good Friday procession with over 500 people participating each year.
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St. Julian's (Maltese -
San Ġiljan) is a town in
Malta situated along the coast, north of the country's capital,
Valletta. It is known for
tourism-oriented businesses, such as
hotels,
restaurants and
nightclubs, centred mostly in an area known as
Paceville. The town is subdivided into informal districts which are
Paceville,
Ta' Ġiorni,
Tal-Għoqod,
St. Andrew's, as well as the regions surrounding St. George's Bay, Spinola Bay, Balluta Bay, and Il-Qaliet cliffs. St. Julian's is a popular town, usually flowing with tourists, especially during the summer months. It is also a well-sought after destination by the Maltese. The population of St. Julian's is 7,667 people. (
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Sliema (or
Tas-Sliema) is a town located on the northeast coast of
Malta. It is, relatively speaking, a modern
town. It is a center for shopping, restaurants and café life. Sliema is also a major commercial and residential area and houses several of Malta's most recent hotels. Sliema, which means 'peace, comfort', was once a quiet fishing town on the peninsula across
Marsamxett Harbour from
Valletta. Sliema and the coastline up to neighbouring
St. Julian's constitutes Malta's main coastal resort. (
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Valletta, population 6,315, is the
capital city of
Malta. The whole city was inscribed as a
UNESCO World Heritage Site in
1980. The official name the
Order of Saint John gave to the city was
Humilissima Civitas Valletta — The Most
Humble City of Valletta. However, with the building of bastions, curtains and ravelins, along with the beauty of the
baroque buildings along its streets, it became known as
Superbissima — 'Most Proud', amongst the ruling houses of Europe. In Maltese it is colloquially known as
Il-Belt, simply meaning "The City".
Benjamin Disraeli visited Valletta in August
1830, on the recommendation of his friend,
Lord Byron. He described Valletta as "a city of palaces built by gentlemen for gentlemen", and remarked that "Valletta, equals in its noble architecture, if it does not excel, any capital in
Europe." (
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Żabbar (or
Ħaż-Żabbar) is the fifth largest town in
Malta, with a population of 14,694. Originally a part of
Żejtun, Żabbar was granted the title of
Città Hompesch by the last of the Grandmasters of the Knights of St. John to reign in Malta,
Ferdinand von Hompesch zu Bolheim. The Grandmaster gave his surname to the city, which is still known (in honorem) as Città Hompesch. The name of the city probably derives from the
Maltese word 'niżbor', the process of
pruning trees. Indeed, a number of families who specialised in
żbir, this process, are known to have lived in the vicinity of this village during the
Middle Ages. (
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Żejtun (also called
Iż-Żejtun) is a medium sized town in the south of
Malta, which has 11,425 inhabitants. Żejtun possesses the title of
Città Beland, which was conferred by
Ferdinand von Hompesch zu Bolheim, the Grandmaster of
Knights of Malta in
1797. Żejtun takes its name from
Arabic az-zaytun [الزيتون] “the olive”, which was one of the main productive industries in Malta. In Medieval times the whole district around Żejtun, that is, in the southern end of Malta, was known as
le Terre di Santa Caterina, ('the lands of Saint Catherine' in
Italian, which was the official language in the period). Various new villages were formed from parts of the Parish of Żejtun, such as Ghaxaq and
Marsaxlokk, each now being considered as a separate parish.(
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Nadur (or
In-Nadur) is a village on
the island of Gozo,
Malta. The word "Nadur" which in
Maltese means "look out", is derived from the
Arabic word
nadara. There are no documents or
archaeological evidence which could shed light on the colonization of Nadur by its first inhabitants. Nevertheless, the plateau and its surroundings, with a few farmhouses scattered here and there, were in existence for many years well before the area became a parish in
1688. The only trace of archaeological evidence were a number of large flat stones found in a field between San Blas Bay and Daħlet Qorrot. (
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Victoria (also called Rabat) is the capital of Gozo, an island of the Maltese archipelago in the Mediterranean Sea. The town has a total population of 6,414 (Nov 2005), by population is the largest locality in Gozo.
Victoria is the name given in
1887 by the
British government on the occasion of
Queen Victoria's
Diamond Jubilee, at the request of the Bishop of Malta, Mons. Sir Pietro Pace. However it is often still referred to by Gozitans by its old name, Rabat. The area around Victoria, situated on a hill near the centre of the island, has been settled since
Neolithic times. (
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Xewkija (or
Ix-Xewkija) is a village on
the island of Gozo,
Malta. The population of Xewkija is 3,115, that is the fourth largest in Gozo. Xewkija, which is situated between Ghajnsielem and the capital town, Victoria, is the oldest village in Gozo. It became the first parish outside Victoria on the 27th November 1678. It was separated from the Matrix by Bishop Glormu Molina and Dun Grezz Farrugia from Valletta, became its first parish priest. It became the first district 'contrada' to be known as 'casale' or village. (
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Gozo is an
island of the
Maltese archipelago in the
Mediterranean Sea, second in size to
the island of Malta. In
Maltese, the island is called
Għawdex (pronounced
áw-desh). Gozo is part of the country of
Malta. Gozo is 67 km² in size, which is approximately the same size as
Hong Kong Island. It lies approximately 6 km northwest from the nearest point of Malta, is of oval form, 14 km in length and 7.25 km in extreme breadth. Gozo is famed for its character and places of interest. Some of these are the Calypso cave, the
Ġgantija Neolithic temples which is the oldest man made structure. It is more picturesque than the larger sister island of Malta, and the land is more fertile. (
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Comino (Maltese:
Kemmuna) is an
island of the
Maltese archipelago between the islands of
Malta and
Gozo in the
Mediterranean Sea, measuring 3.5 km² in area. Named after the
cumin herb that once flourished on the Island, Comino is noted for its tranquility and isolation. It has a permanent population of only four residents. One priest and one policeman commute from the nearby island of Gozo, to render their services to the local population and summertime visitors. Today, Comino is a
bird sanctuary and
nature reserve. (
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