Xemxija ( mt, Ix-Xemxija, pronounced ''shem-shee-ya'') is a suburb on the western part of
St. Paul's Bay in the
Northern Region,
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 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. The resort is the gateway to the sandy beaches of
Golden Bay and to
Mellieħa
Mellieħa ( mt, il-Mellieħa ) is a large village in the Northern Region of Malta. It has a population of 10,087 as of March 2014. Mellieħa is also a tourist resort, popular for its sandy beaches and natural environment.
Etymology
The name ''M ...
Bay. There are a number of hotels and restaurants in Xemxija. Lies on the
Xemxija Bay.
History
The area around Xemxija has been inhabited since prehistoric times. It contains a number of archaeological sites, which now form a heritage trail. These include a number of rock-hewn tombs, remains of two
megalithic temples, a
Bronze Age
The Bronze Age is a historic period, lasting approximately from 3300 BC to 1200 BC, characterized by the use of bronze, the presence of writing in some areas, and other early features of urban civilization. The Bronze Age is the second prin ...
grain silo, trogloditic dwellings, cart ruts, a Roman road, and Roman
apiaries.
In around 1715, the
Order of St. John built
Arrias Battery as part of a series of fortifications defending Malta's coastline. It was also called ''Xemxija Battery'' since it was on the sunny side of the bay (''xemxija'' means "sunny" in
Maltese), and the area around it became known as ''Xemxija''. Today, the battery is a restaurant.
In 1839, the British built an
aqueduct allowing the transportation of water. The water travelled from an underground aqueduct in an area in
Wardija
Wardija is a hamlet in St. Paul's Bay, Malta, about 363 feet above sea level. Its name is corrupted from the Sicilian or Italian word , meaning 'to watch'). Although the name of the hamlet has Arabic lexicons, it was probably named later when Mal ...
, known as ''tal-Ballut'', that extends to an above ground aqueduct and then to a reservoir both in Xemxija. The conservation of water was needed for the British military and their horses, who surveilled the area from the nearby defence posts.
An underground emergency flour mill was built in Xemxija during the
Cold War. It has been restored to working condition by the ''Fondazzjoni Wirt Industrijali Malti'' (Maltese Industrial Heritage Foundation), and is now open to the public.
Since the 1980s, several apartment blocks were built in Xemxija making it a popular residential area. It is also a small resort, mainly catering with bars and restaurants.
The
Simar Nature Reserve
Simar Nature Reserve is a nature reserve in Pwales Valley, in Xemxija, St Paul's Bay, Malta. An artificial wetland habitat was created in the 1990s by BirdLife Malta volunteers in an area of abandoned marshland.
The reserve lies within the Is-Sim ...
forms part of the suburb. A fire and rescue station is located in Xemxija, known as the Xemxija Fire Station.
Further reading
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References
{{commons category
Towns in Malta
St. Paul's Bay