| Mġarr ix-Xini Tower | |
|---|---|
| Torri ta' Mġarr ix-Xini | |
| Għajnsielem, Gozo, Malta | |
Mġarr ix-Xini Tower | |
| Coordinates | 36°1′1.7″N14°16′27.7″E / 36.017139°N 14.274361°E |
| Type | Coastal watchtower |
| Site information | |
| Owner | Government of Malta |
| Controlled by | Wirt Għawdex |
| Open to the public | Yes |
| Condition | Intact |
| Site history | |
| Built | 1661 |
| Built by | Order of Saint John |
| Materials | Limestone |
Mġarr ix-Xini Tower (Maltese : Torri ta' Mġarr ix-Xini) is the largest of the coastal watchtowers that the Knights of Malta erected on the island of Gozo. It watches over the entrance to the bay of Mġarr ix-Xini, limits of Għajnsielem, which lies on Gozo's south-west coast.
Maltese is the national language of Malta and a co-official language of the country alongside English, while also serving as an official language of the European Union, the only Semitic language so distinguished. Maltese is descended from Siculo-Arabic, the extinct variety of Arabic that developed in Sicily and was later introduced to Malta, between the end of the ninth century and the end of the twelfth century.
A watchtower is a type of fortification used in many parts of the world. It differs from a regular tower in that its primary use is military and from a turret in that it is usually a freestanding structure. Its main purpose is to provide a high, safe place from which a sentinel or guard may observe the surrounding area. In some cases, non-military towers, such as religious towers, may also be used as watchtowers.
The Order of Knights of the Hospital of Saint John of Jerusalem, also known as the Order of Saint John, Order of Hospitallers, Knights Hospitaller, Knights Hospitalier or Hospitallers, was a medieval and early modern Catholic military order. It was headquartered in the Kingdom of Jerusalem, on the island of Rhodes, in Malta and St Petersburg.
Contents
It was completed in 1661, and its design is similar to the De Redin towers that were commissioned by Grand Master Martin de Redin. Recently, Wirt Għawdex, a heritage NGO, restored the tower. It is now open to the public.
The De Redin Towers are a series of small coastal watchtowers built in Malta by the Order of Saint John between 1658 and 1659. Thirteen towers were built around the coast of mainland Malta, eight of which still survive.
Fra' Martin de Redin was a Spanish military and politician, and the 58th Prince and Grand Master of the Order of Malta. He became Grand Prior of the Order of Malta of Navarra in 1641, and Viceroy of Sicily in 1656.
Wirt Għawdex is a voluntary non-governmental organisation founded in 1981 with the aims of fostering the knowledge of Gozitan heritage amongst all levels of society and to strive to safeguard the natural, archaeological, historical and anthropological patrimony of the Maltese islands of Gozo and Comino.
It is one of four surviving coastal watchtowers on Gozo, with the others being Xlendi Tower, Dwejra Tower, and Isopu Tower.
Xlendi Tower is a small watchtower near Xlendi Bay, within the limits of Munxar on the island of Gozo in Malta. The tower is one of the Lascaris towers and dates to 1650; it is currently undergoing restoration.
Dwejra Tower, sometimes known as Qawra Tower, is a small watchtower in Dwejra Bay, limits of San Lawrenz on the island of Gozo in Malta. It was completed in 1652, and is one of the Lascaris towers. Today, it is in good condition and is open to the public.
