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Marsaskala is a modest sea-side village in Malta

2008-05-07T10:22:00.000-07:00

Marsaskala (also called Marsascala or Wied il-Għajn^[1]) 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. 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, a creek leading to Il-Ponta tal-Gzira. 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 (St Thomas Bay) to the south.

Marsasakala's innermost bay

Though not endowed with much in the way of sandy beaches, the environment is ideal for scuba diving and snorkelling, and the town boasts at least two diving schools.

The parish church is dedicated to Sant Anna (St. Anne) and St Anne's feast is celebrated at the end of July in Marsaskala.

The town has a winter population of 9,298 people (Nov 2005), but this swells to around 20,000 in summer.

Local politics

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The present Marsaskala local council was elected in 2006. While the Malta Labour Party's majority in the locality was confirmed for the third term a new group, the Grupp Indipendenti Marsaskala[1], successfully elected Josie Muscat, a former MP with the Nationalist Party.

The main issue in this election was the controversial proposal of the building of a new waste recycling plant and a number of biogas tanks in Sant' Antnin Valley. This development is being challenged by a committee composed of seven Labour-led local councils (including Marsaskala) and eight local non-government organisations. The matter and has been raised in the European Parliament [2] investigations by the European Commission on the site selection process are ongoing.

Derivation of the name

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The name Marsascala is derived from Marsaskala. Different opinions exist regarding the origin of the name Marsaskala. While it is commonly agreed that Marsa is an Arabic word meaning bay, Skala has given rise to different interpretations. It could have been derived from Sqalli (Sicilian) for Marsaskala was frequented by Sicilian fishermen since Malta is just 60 miles south from Sicily. Maybe it was derived from the Sicilian 'Piccola Cala' meaning little inlet or it was just a reference to some rock-cut steps on the water's edge. (Skala also means a straight flight of steps).

Marsaskala is better known as Wied il-Għajn by the Maltese as the bay and the old small village are flanked by two valleys, through which a spring of fresh water used to flow down into the innermost bay. Wied means valley and Għajn (pronounced ayn) refers to the spring of fresh water. Literally, Wied il-Għajn means Valley of the Spring.

History to remains found in various areas of Marsaskala

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Man inhabited this area thousands of years ago as evidenced by the several archaeological remains found in various areas of Marsaskala. Its Pre-history is normally divided in the Neolithic period and the Bronze Age. Some of the most ancient remains at Marsaskala are undoubtedly the cart-ruts, which are parallel channels formed in the rock face. Some of Malta's cart-ruts, mysteriously, lead straight into the sea. Difficulties and uncertainties still abound as regards their use as well as the time and the way they were made, though it seems that they served to transport heavy burdens from one place to another.

Early Christian catacombs as well as Roman era villa remains, were also discovered in Marsaskala, the latter suggesting that Marsaskala was also a Roman port. Remains of Roman Baths were found in a field at il-Gżira, a rock peninsula behind the Jerma Palace Hotel.

The still standing magnificent St Thomas Tower was built by the Knights Hospitaller (The Knights Of St John) soon after an attack on the south of Malta by 60 Turkish ships carrying 6000 soldiers, landing in Marsaskala in 1614. This brought back fear and terrifying memories of the 1565 Great Siege of Malta by the Ottoman Turks. Marsaskala's vulnerability to sea borne attacks was thus seen to by the building of this fortified tower by Grand Master Alof de Wignacourt. Other fortified towers still exist, notably Mamo Tower and the De Redin watch tower.

main sports in Marsaskala

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The main sports in Marsaskala is waterpolo and the club, Marsascala Sports Club, originally founded in 1927, and re-founded in 1974 is one of the oldest in Malta. Having languished in the second division for many years, Marsascala Sports Club established themselves as one of Malta's top teams in the mid-nineties. In 1997 they were crowned Malta champions. They have represented Malta in the Ligue Européenne de Natation (LEN) Trophy in Chios, Greece in 1997 and the European Champions Cup in 1998 in Ustad Nad Labem, Czech Republic, becoming the first Maltese team to win two European Champions Cup matches, against Swiss champions Horgen and the hosts themselves.

Several Marsascala Sports Club products have also played with distinction in the national team, amongst of which were Charles Flask, Alfred Xuereb il-Yogi, Charles Żammit, Joseph Caruana Dingli, Anton Privitera, Paul Privitera and John Licari. Both Joseph Caruana Dingli and Paul Privitera have also captained the Malta national team on many occasions.

The Village was also the venue of the 2005 European Eight-ball Pool Championships which were held at the Corinthian Jerma Palace Hotel.

Marsaskala main roads

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Triq Ħaż-Żabbar (Zabbar Road)
Triq id-Daħla ta' San Tumas (St Thomas Bay Road)
Triq il-Qaliet (Qaliet Street)
Triq is-Salini (Salini Street)
Triq ix-Xatt (Marina Street)
Triq iż-Żonqor (Zonqor Road)
Triq La Sengle (La Sengle Street)
Triq San Ġużepp (St Joseph Street)
Triq San Luqa (St Luke Street)
Triq Sant' Anna (St Anne Street)
Triq Sant' Antnin (Sant' Antnin Road)
Triq Tal-Gardiel (Tal-Gardiel Road)