Ta' Kenuna Tower

Last updated
Ta' Kenuna Tower
Torri ta' Kenuna

Kenuna-tower.jpg

View of Ta' Kenuna Tower
General information
Status Intact
Type Semaphore tower
Location Nadur, Gozo, Malta
Coordinates 36°2′7.9″N14°17′2.1″E / 36.035528°N 14.283917°E / 36.035528; 14.283917
Completed 1848
Renovated 2005
Technical details
Material Limestone
Floor count 3

Ta' Kenuna Tower (Maltese : Torri ta' Kenuna) is a semaphore tower on the cliffs near Nadur on the island of Gozo, Malta. It was built by the British in 1848, as one of three semaphore towers in Malta. The tower was restored in 2005, and it now houses as a beacon to warn ships of their proximity to land, as well as a number of communication antennas.

Maltese language Semitic language

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 otherwise 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 AD.

Tower structure with height greater than width

A tower is a tall structure, taller than it is wide, often by a significant margin. Towers are distinguished from masts by their lack of guy-wires and are therefore, along with tall buildings, self-supporting structures.

Contents

History

The semaphore telegraph system was invented in 1792, and the British military authorities began to consider installing such a system in Malta in the early 1840s. Initially, it was planned that semaphore stations be established on the bell towers and domes of the island's churches, but the religious authorities rejected the proposal. Due to this, in 1848 new semaphore towers were constructed at Nadur on Gozo, and Għargħur and Għaxaq on the main island of Malta. Further stations were established at the Governor's Palace in Valletta, Selmun Palace near Mellieħa, and the Giordan Lighthouse near Għasri, Gozo. Each station was manned by the Royal Engineers. [1]

Għargħur Semaphore Tower

The Għargħur Semaphore Tower is a semaphore tower in the town of Għargħur, Malta. It was built by the British in 1848, as one of three semaphore towers in Malta. The tower was restored in 2009, and it is now in good condition.

Għaxaq Semaphore Tower

The Għaxaq Semaphore Tower, known locally as it-Turretta, is a semaphore tower in the town of Għaxaq, Malta. It was built by the British in 1848, as one of three semaphore towers in Malta. The tower is now leased to the Għaxaq Local Council, which has plans to restore it.

Grandmasters Palace (Valletta) palace

The Grandmaster's Palace, officially known as The Palace, is a palace in Valletta, Malta. It was built between the 16th and 18th centuries as the palace of the Grand Master of the Order of St. John, who ruled Malta, and was also known as the Magisterial Palace. It eventually became the Governor's Palace, and it currently houses the Office of the President of Malta. Parts of the building, namely the Palace State Rooms and the Palace Armoury, are open to the public as a museum run by Heritage Malta.

Ta' Kenuna Tower was built on a hill 130 metres (430 ft) above sea level, so as to be able to pass on signals to ships and other posts via a telegraphy link between the two main Maltese islands, and to communicate with the towers at Għargħur and Għaxaq. The semaphore system became obsolete with the introduction of the electrical telegraph, and Ta' Kenuna Tower closed in 1883. [1]

Telegraphy long distance transmission of textual/symbolic messages without the physical exchange of an object

Telegraphy is the long-distance transmission of textual or symbolic messages without the physical exchange of an object bearing the message. Thus semaphore is a method of telegraphy, whereas pigeon post is not.

Electrical telegraph

An electrical telegraph is a telegraph that uses electrical signals, usually conveyed via dedicated telecommunication circuit or radio.

In 2005, the Nadur Local Council with the help of Maltacom (now GO) sponsored restoration works of the tower. A beacon to warn ships of their proximity to land, as well as a number of communication antennas were installed on the roof. [2] The modern additions are mounted on the surface of the tower, and care was taken to preserve the historic fabric of the original structure. [3]

GO (Malta) Maltese provider of local and long distance telephone services, wireless service, cable television, and DSL Internet access

GO p.l.c. is a Maltese integrated telecommunications company. It is a quadruple play provider that offers local and long distance telephone services, wireless services, digital terrestrial television, and DSL Internet access. GO is based in Marsa, Malta.

View from garden around tower View from Kenuna garden.jpg
View from garden around tower

Today, one can ask permission from the tower's watchman to go on top of the covered roof of the tower for a panoramic view of Gozo, Comino and Malta. The surrounding gardens contain a number of endemic plants. [4]

Comino Maltese island

Comino, formerly called Ephaestia is a small island of the Maltese archipelago between the islands of Malta and Gozo in the Mediterranean Sea, measuring 3.5 square kilometres (1.4 sq mi) in area. Named after the cumin seed that once flourished in the Maltese islands, the island is the least densely populated area in the Republic of Malta. It has a permanent population of only three residents, following the death of the fourth resident in 2017. Administratively, it is part of the municipality of Għajnsielem, in southeastern Gozo. One priest and one policeman commute from the nearby island of Gozo. The island is a bird sanctuary and nature reserve.

Architecture

Ta' Kenuna Tower is identical to the towers at Għaxaq and Għargħur, consisting of three floors, each containing a single room. The floors are linked together and with the roof by a spiral staircase. The signalling equipment, consisting of a wooden pole with three movable arms, was located on the tower's roof. [1]

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Semaphore telegraph system of visual communication

A semaphore telegraph is a system of conveying information by means of visual signals, using towers with pivoting shutters, also known as blades or paddles. Information is encoded by the position of the mechanical elements; it is read when the shutter is in a fixed position. The most widely used system was invented in 1792 in France by Claude Chappe, and was popular in the late eighteenth to early nineteenth centuries. Lines of relay towers with a semaphore rig at the top were built within line-of-sight of each other, at separations of 5 to 20 miles. Operators at each tower would watch the neighboring tower through a spyglass, and when the semaphore arms began to move spelling out a message, they would pass the message on to the next tower. This system was much faster than post riders for conveying a message over long distances, and also had cheaper long-term operating costs, once constructed. Semaphore lines were a precursor of the electrical telegraph, which would replace them half a century later, and would also be cheaper, faster, and more private. The line-of-sight distance between relay stations was limited by geography and weather, and prevented the optical telegraph from crossing wide expanses of water, unless a convenient island could be used for a relay station. Modern derivatives of the semaphore system include flag semaphore and the heliograph.

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References

  1. 1 2 3 "Semaphore Tower". Għargħur Local Council. Archived from the original on 4 March 2016.
  2. "Project Works by the Nadur Local Council". Nadur Local Council. 30 June 2005. Archived from the original on 11 March 2007.
  3. "Kenuna Tower". Architecture Project. Archived from the original on 15 May 2015.
  4. "Ta' Kenuna Tower". visitgozo.com. Archived from the original on 11 December 2015.