Last updated Wooden muxrabija in QrendiStone-carved muxrabija in Zabbar
The Muxrabija (from the Arabic mashrabiya, peep-box; plural muxrabijet) is a typical element of vernacular Maltese architecture. It consists of an ornate timber screen, perforated with an intricate network of holes, tightly fitted into a window or loggia[1] projecting from the facade of the building, usually over the main door or to its side.[2] Stone-carved muxrabijiet are also reported.
The muxrabija is also known as ‘in-nemmiesa’, ‘ix-xerriefa’ and in Gozo as ‘il-kixxiefa’ or ‘lkixxijìja’ and ‘il-glusija’ (probably from the French jalousie).[3]
Muxrabijet and roundels (round motifs sculpted on building facades) are the only two features of vernacular Maltese architecture directly deriving from Arabic culture. The muxrabija is a typical Mediterranean feature, whose oldest record dates back to the 7th century in the Middle East. The oldest-surviving muxrabijet in Malta date back to the years 1300–1400.
Muxrabijet had the task to keep the interior of the building cool by allowing circulation of air through the carved wood. They were also used as cooling device for storing water, and as a security measure to observe the outside without being seen.[4]
Għarb is an administrative unit of Malta, located at the westernmost point of the island of Gozo, with a population of 1,539 people.
Victoria, also known among the native Maltese as Rabat or by its title Città Victoria, is an administrative unit of Malta, and the main town on Gozo. Victoria has a total population of 6,901, and is the most populous settlement in Gozo.
Gudja is a village in the Southern Region of Malta, with a population of 3,148 as of March 2017. The village is located on high grounds, south of the capital Valletta. It is administered by the Gudja Local Council. A number of schools, clubs, public gardens and recreation places are found around the village.
Qrendi is a village in the Southern Region of Malta, with a population of 3,148 people as of October 2021. It is located close to Mqabba, Żurrieq and Siggiewi. Within its boundaries are two well-known Neolithic temples called Mnajdra and Ħaġar Qim. In this village two feasts are held annually. The feast of Our Lady of Lourdes is celebrated either on the last Sunday of June or the first Sunday of July, with 15 August the titular feast of the Ascension of Our Lady. This feast is popularly known as the feast of Santa Maria.
Għasri is a village and an administrative unit of Malta, in the western part of the island of Gozo, with a population of 525 people. By population, it is the smallest village in Gozo after San Lawrenz, and the third-smallest in the Maltese Islands, after Bidnija and Mdina. Għasri, however, has a relatively large area.
Qala is an administrative unit of Malta, on the island of Gozo, with a population of 1,929 as of September 2019. Nearby is Ħondoq ir-Rummien, a coastline with salt pans and caves.
A mashrabiya or mashrabiyya is an architectural element which is characteristic of traditional architecture in the Islamic world and beyond. It is a type of projecting oriel window enclosed with carved wood latticework located on the upper floors of a building, sometimes enhanced with stained glass. It was traditionally used to catch wind and for passive cooling. Jars and basins of water could be placed in it to cause evaporative cooling. It is most commonly used on the street side of the building; however, it may also be used internally on the sahn (courtyard) side. The term mashrabiya is sometimes used of similar lattices elsewhere, for instance in a takhtabush. It is similar to Indian jali.
The Megalithic Temples of Malta are several prehistoric temples, some of which are UNESCO World Heritage Sites, built during three distinct periods approximately between 3600 BC and 2500 BC on the island country of Malta. They had been claimed as the oldest free-standing structures on Earth until the discovery of Göbekli Tepe in Turkey. Archaeologists believe that these megalithic complexes are the result of local innovations in a process of cultural evolution. This led to the building of several temples of the Ġgantija phase, culminating in the large Tarxien temple complex, which remained in use until 2500 BC. After this date, the temple-building culture disappeared.
Malta is for non-local government purposes divided into districts as opposed to the local government localities. The three main types of such districts – statistical, electoral at national level, and policing – have no mainstream administrative effect as the local councils form the first-tier – moreover only administrative tier – divisions of the country.
The Gozo Museum of Archaeology is a museum in the Cittadella, the oldest part of the city, of Victoria in Gozo, Malta. The museum of Archaeology was opened in 1960 as the first public museum in Gozo and was known as the Gozo Museum. The museum was redesigned and reopened in 1986 as the Archaeology Museum of Gozo. Today it is known as the Gozo Museum of Archaeology or the National Museum of Archaeology. The museum features archaeological artifacts and relics and displays covering the cultural history of the Island of Gozo from the prehistoric era to the early modern period. Its exhibits include the Maymūnah Stone.
In Malta, most of the main roads are in the outskirts of the localities to connect one urban area with another urban area. The most important roads are those that connect the south of the island with the northern part, like Tal-Barrani Road, Aldo Moro Street in Marsa and Birkirkara Bypass.
A Gozo Farmhouse is a type of dwelling in Gozo, Malta. Because of the many foreign occupations that Maltese islands have been through, the trading roads that were opened across the Mediterranean Sea and its numerous original influences, Malta and Gozo earned a very rich architectural heritage.
Ta' Cisju Farmhouse is an 18th-century farmhouse in Naxxar, Malta. The farmhouse was built in 1730 in an area known as Ħal Muselmiet, during the rule of the Order of St. John. According to the Naxxar Local Council, the building is the oldest farmhouse in the area of its type. The farmhouse has a vernacular structure with traditional Maltese architecture. The farmhouse was used for agricultural purposes but it is now a residential building.
The Parish Church of Saint Mary, commonly known as il-Knisja l-Qadima is a Roman Catholic parish church in Birkirkara, Malta, dedicated to the Assumption of Mary. It was built in the 17th century, and it has a Renaissance design attributed to the architects Vittorio Cassar and Tommaso Dingli.
The St Cecilia Chapel is a former Roman Catholic chapel in the limits of Xewkija, Gozo, Malta, dedicated to Saint Cecilia. It was built around 1540, but it was deconsecrated in 1644, being converted into an ancillary building for the nearby Santa Cecilia Tower.
The Ġonna tal-Kmand, formerly known as Ġonna tal-Kutnent and sometimes known as Ball Gardens, are a group of gardens in various localities in Malta, which were built in the early years of the 19th century when the island was a British protectorate. The gardens were commissioned by Civil Commissioner Alexander Ball between 1802 and 1805, and were given to the Luogotenenti in charge of the towns or villages.
3, Triq ix-Xatt was a nineteenth-century building in Marsaskala, Malta. Built during the Crown Colony of Malta, it was a vernacular structure which appears in an iconic 1885 photo of the former fishing village - prior development into a residential and holiday location. It was among the few old buildings in the area at one time, which at some point became a residence until it became vacant.
Architecture Of Saudi Arabia was not different in the pre-oil era during the early 1930s from what it was across the past centuries. Construction and building activities followed a simple and modest style back then, as there was a lack of specialized architects in the modern sense. Instead, native communities would erect their own structures manually through the efforts of builders using basic means and local materials in what came to be known as “traditional architecture.” Every region in Saudi Arabia was famous for its own brand of architecture that expressed its artistic taste. Building materials used at that time were sourced from the local environment, such as clay, rock, palm fronds, and wood. Similarly, the architectural styles passed on from generation to generation reflected each region's climatic and environmental conditions.
The Gallarija is a typical element of vernacular Maltese architecture, consisting of an ornate closed wooden balcony.
A girna is a type of traditional corbelled hut found in rural areas in parts of Malta. They bear similarities with a number of dry stone vernacular building types found in other Mediterranean countries, and they are primarily used for storage or as temporary shelters. It is possible that in the past they were also used for human habitation.
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