Xemxija
| Ix-Xemxija | |
|---|---|
| City | |
  Ix-Xemxija | |
| Coordinates: 35°57′2″N 14°23′9″E / 35.95056°N 14.38583°ECoordinates: 35°57′2″N 14°23′9″E / 35.95056°N 14.38583°E | |
| Country |
 Malta |
| Island | Malta Island |
| Suburb of | St. Paul's Bay |
| Time zone | CET (UTC+1) |
| • Summer (DST) | CEST (UTC+2) |
| Postal code | SPB |
| Dialing code | 356 |
Ix-Xemxija is a resort area on the west side of St. Paul's Bay, Malta.
Xemxija (meaning sunny and pronounced shem-shee-ya) is the gateway to the sandy beaches of Golden Bay to the west, and to Mellieħa Bay to the north. Xemxija is a quiet resort, surrounded by Maltese countryside and some of the most fertile valleys in Malta. There is also a picturesque small fishing harbour. There are a few hotels and restaurants in Xemxija, but nightlife, shops and bars can be found in the villages of St Paul's Bay, Buġibba and Qawra, all within walking distance.
Xemxija is the smallest resort in Malta and is extremely close to some of the best Maltese beaches. It also has a couple of private lidos.
Xemxija, although consisting mainly of new apartment blocks built in the late 1980s and 1990s, has been home to settlements since prehistoric times.
In fact, the area includes the oldest preserved burial sites on the Maltese Archipelago (Neolithic phase – 4,200 BC), Punic Period tombs (900 BC), a fortified Bronze Age village site, cart ruts, a Bronze Age grain silo (1,200 BC) turned into a water catchment area, the remains of a neolithic temple (3,400 BC) and megalithic stones. Extensive trogloditic dwellings from the 9th century abound in the region. A Heritage Route has been formed within the last few years. This route is mainly located on Xemxija hill (in Maltese, "ix-Xaghra l-Bajda").
Within the Extended Heritage Walk area, one will also find rock-hewn Roman-Period baths, a Second-World-War defence outpost and a post-Second-World-War emergency underground flour mill, which has recently been restored to working condition by the Fondazzjoni Wirt Industrijali Malti.
A 24-page booklet describing the Heritage Walk is freely available from St. Paul's Bay Local Council (located on the Main Road at St. Paul's Bay) and will help any visitor to find the sites and understand them.
An extensive volume by Eugene Paul Teuma, San Pawl il-Bahar: A Guide (2003), describing archaeological sites in the region (including an extensive chapter about Xemxija), may be acquired from the above-mentioned local council offices, or over the internet (search "Teuma San Pawl Il-Bahar Malta Archaeology").
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