| Ħal Tarxien Il-Kunsill Lokali ta' Ħal Tarxien |
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| — Local council — | |||
| Ħal Tarxien | |||
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| Motto: Tyrii Genure Coloni (The Phoenicians Created Me) |
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| Coordinates: | |||
| Country | Malta | ||
| Island | Malta | ||
| District | |||
| Borders | Fgura, Paola, Santa Luċija, Żejtun | ||
| Government | |||
| • Mayor | Paul Farrugia (PL) | ||
| Area | |||
| • Total | 0.9 km2 (0.3 sq mi) | ||
| Population | |||
| • Total | 7,597 | ||
| • Density | 8,441.1/km2 (21,862.4/sq mi) | ||
| Demonym | Tarxiniż (m), Tarxiniża (f), Tarxiniżi (pl) | ||
| Time zone | CET (UTC+1) | ||
| • Summer (DST) | CEST (UTC+2) | ||
| Postal code | TXN | ||
| Dialing code | 356 | ||
| Patron saint | Annunciation (il-Lunzjata) | ||
| Day of festa | 3rd Sunday of May (Annunciation); 3rd Sunday of July Our Lady of Doctrine | ||
| Website | Official website | ||
Ħal Tarxien is a small village found in the southern part of Malta.
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Ħal Tarxien is a small village in the south east of Malta. The etymology of the village may be a corruption of Tirix, meaning a large stone, similar to those used for the village's noted temples. The village motto is Tyrii Genure Coloni ("The Phoenicians created me").
Today, the village is inhabited by just 7,724 villagers (Dec 2008). When the summer comes, the heat drives most of the citizens of Ħal Tarxien to the seaside villages of Malta, often bringing down the population of the village to about two-thirds of what it is during the colder months.
The oldest temple is said to date back to about 2800 BCE. The temples feature various statues and reliefs of animals, including goats (for which Malta is noted) and pigs. Most notable of the statues found in the Temples are about 2.5 m in height, and are said to represent a sort of Mother Goddess. There are several of these statues scattered around the various temples, and are thought to represent fertility.
The parish church of Ħal Tarxien is dedicated to the Annunciation of Our Lady, hence the Tarxinizi (the people of Ħal Tarxien) consider the Blessed Virgin Mary, particularly at Her Annunciation as the Patron and Protector of their town and its whole population. The church was elevated to the status of parish in 1592, making it one of the oldest parishes of Malta. A key part of Ħal Tarxien culture is the feast of the Annunciation, whose feast is celebrated in late May or first Sunday of June. It is celebrated with religious celebrations and liturgical services at the parish church, and publicly with street decorations, band marches in the village streets and large aerial and ground firework displays.
The second largest church in town is dedicated to the Resurrection of Christ better known by the locals as "Ta' l-Erwieħ" (Maltese pronunciation: [tɐlɛrˈwɪːħ]). The word means "of the souls" and it is used due to the old cemetery that surrounds the church. This church is right next to the renowned Tarxien Neolithic Temples and is visited by many tourists as many of the prehistoric remains were also found in the mentioned cemetery.
There are two other small chapels in Ħal Tarxien. These are dedicated to St. Bartholomew and St. Mary respectively.
There is also another chapel which is housed in the convent of the Sisters of Charity. This is dedicated to 'Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception'. The same congregation have a school.
There is also another church dedicated to St. Nicholas of Tolentino and a convent which belongs to the Augustinian Friars.
The current Ħal Tarxien local council members are:
The only band club in Ħal Tarxien is the Għaqda Mużikali Marija Annunzjata founded in 1862. The Ħal Tarxien Band Club main aims are to promote the music culture amongst the locals of Ħal Tarxien and to co-organise the external titular festivities in honour of the Annunciation of Our Lady, Patroness of Ħal Tarxien, held annually during the last week of May.
There is also another club, a social one, dedicated to Our Lady of Catholic Doctrine.
Former Prime Minister of Malta Dominic Mintoff lives in retirement in Ħal Tarxien. Former Minister Magistrate Dr. Joseph Cassar lives in Ħal Tarxien. Former Speaker of the House of the Representatives and Ambassador of Malta to the Vatican, Chev. Dr. Jimmy Farrugia lived at Ħal Tarxien until his death in 2007... Thea Garrett, singer. She represented Malta at Eurovision Song Contest 2010.
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