South of Malta's Grand Harbour lies what is often simply referred to as 'the South'; 'is-Sawt' in our native brand of English pronunciation.
Malta's South is, without a doubt, rich in countryside, historic sites and lovely blue sea, as will be seen later on, but it is also fraught with industrial development, breathing pollution into the surroundings.
First, the downside . . .
Malta's two power stations are situated here; one at Marsa – the urban locality within the Grand Harbour – and the other at Delimara, within Marsaxlokk Bay – only a few kilometres apart. On top of this, the island's major industrial estates are clustered in this region; at Marsa, Corradino, Bulebel, Ricasoli and Ħal Far.
As Maltese singer-songwriter, Walter Micallef, reminds us in his lyrics for 'In-Nofsinhar' [The South], here, one finds an assortment of environmental bruises ... such as Malta's sometimes smelly refuse and drainage recycling plants, both located at Marsascala with only a few metres between them, our two commercial ports — one in the area of Marsa and the other within the Marsaxlokk/Birzebbuga bay — as well as our international airport located in Gudja. Ship building and repairs (Malta Shipyards) are other industrial activities going on in the South.
Of course, all these are amenities necessary for the nation's existance. But, as the songwriter says, Malta's southern region [In-Nofsinhar] is perhaps the most underprivileged in these respects.
Now, for some good parts ...
Before moving on to other towns and villages that one finds in the southern region of Malta, let us first consider the Three Cities of the Order, commonly known as the Kottonera. The historic importance of this area will be treated anon; for now we shall look at the aesthetic and traditional values.
The Vittoriosa waterfront has been transformed into a lovely Yacht Marina, albeit certain development tends to violate the historic characteristics of that jewel of a port which the indomitable Fort St. Angelo still watches over; Malta's unique Grand Harbour.
Visit our dedicated Grand Harbour page with various panoramic scrolling-windows.
The walled city of Vittoriosa has been embellished by the artful restoration of its streets and buildings, augmenting property prices and giving second thoughts to those who used to think that the Cottonera area was nothing but dilapidation and slum. Nowadays one can enjoy the sights of Malta's original Auberges that housed the Order's Langues before the Knights moved to their New City of Valletta, as well as some well-maintained narrow streets akin to other medieval towns in the Mediterranean. Vittoriosa also houses Malta's Maritime Museum and the Inquisitor's Palace, aside from beautiful Churches and a historic monastery.
The second of the Three Cities is Senglea, another fortified township with related historic significance. A walk around Senglea brings us to its lovely waterfront (ix-Xatt tal-Isla), across Galley Creek, overlooking its sister cities within the Cottonera. Aside from admiring its beautiful churches, the visitor may also relax for a while in the garden on the bastions, commanding a panoramic view of the Harbour all around.
 Entrance to Fort St. Michael (Senglea) side view
 Across the water from Cospicua and Vittoriosa — click to enlarge
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And the most recent of the Order's Cities, developed following the walling-off of the hinterland by Grand Master Cottoner as a further defensive move, is Cospicua, generally known by its Maltese name as Bormla. Together, the Three Cities form the Kottonera region, characterised by the existence of the Dockyard in its midst, and by the sheltered inlets within the Grand Harbour, steeping the interest of the locals in boats and anything maritime.
Traditionally, many men from this region were boatsmen (barklora), ferrying naval personnel from ship to shore and vice versa, while others were generally employed at the Malta Dockyard, with the Royal Navy, or the British Merchant fleet. Visit our Cospicua photo page for more.
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A lot of Cospicua (Bormla) had to be rebuilt as the city suffered grave damages during WW2, as did its 2 sisters harbouring the Dockyard.
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Outside the confines of the Cottonera bastions lies another sister locality, the tiny village of Kalkara, home to Bighi Naval Hospital and the Capucchin's Naval Cemetary. Kalkara is a quiet, little sea-side village sharing the same Kottonera-characteristics that reminisce the Order of Saint John as well as the Royal Navy. It is also home of the Mediterranean Film Studios (formerly the Malta Film Facilities), within the confines of the restored Fort Rinella that proudly houses the unique 100-ton Gun.
Here, one mustn't omit mention of Fort Ricasoli, that for centuries used to guard the entrance to the Grand Harbour in conjunction with Fort St. Elmo at Valletta's tip, and of Fort St. Rocco further down along the coast. As one might expect, this coastline is dotted with WW2 Gun Posts (Pillboxes). Another interesting feature in this locality the Cemetary generally known as Ta' Wied Ghammieq. Photographs of these features may be found in links to localities given below.
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Between 1961 and 1977 Kalkara was home to British sailor / author / historian, Ernle Bradford.
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Farther south we find the fishing villages of Marsaxlokk and Wied il-Ghajn (Marsaskala), both of which are adorned by beautiful Towers dating back to the days of the Order and both drawing crowds from neighbouring villages for evening walks during the summer ... or the Sunday morning market in case of Marsaxlokk.
Sharing the Kalafrana Bay with Marsaxlokk one finds Birzebbugia; affectionately known among the British people who live/d here as Birsi. Having been close to the Hal Far airfield (inexistant today) and in view of its natural harbour, this locality became popular with British servicemen and -women in the first half of the 20th century. It is highly recommended that you read Sergeant Barker's WW2 Diary in this respect.
It is perhaps safe to say that this was one of Malta's first inhabited locations. In fact, here one finds the bronze-age fortified village known as Borg in-Nadur. But far more ancient and unique to the Maltese Islands is Ghar Dalam where animal remains from as far back as 125,000 BC were unearthed.
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Birzebbuga promenade adorned with palm trees and lined with eating places; contrasted by the Malta Freeport at the mouth of the Kalafrana Bay.
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Also in the southern region, but on the cliffy western shores, one finds the panoramic Wied iz-Zurrieq, home to the Blue Grotto and the Ancient Temples, within the limits of Qrendi. For a long distance along these cliffs one may see the little islet of Filfla, which looks closer than it actually is to the shore. Within the limits of Siggiewi lies Ghar Lapsi, a favourite swimming spot for the locals. In Siggiewi there was the, now redundant, San Niklaw airstrip.
We shall be seeing more of the remaining villages, some of which are amongst the oldest in the Maltese Islands judging by their buildings, especially their churches and chapels. Perhaps Malta's oldest standing chapel is the one at Gudja, known as Ta' Bir Miftuh. Also at Gudja is the chapel dedicated to the Madonna of Loreto and this dates back to the Order of Saint John, built by a Knight as thanksgiving.
Tarxien is another old village in the South, which is mostly known for its prehistoric Temples. Nowadays it is indistinguishable from Paola, which is the most commercial town in the area. The Civil Prisons and Malta's beautiful Addolorata Cemetery are two landmarks in this area.
Zejtun is one of the oldest villages, as clearly evidenced by the old parish dedicated to Saint Gregory. Zabbar is another of the area's older localities; from where Marsascala and ix-Xghajra developed. These villages predate the coming of the Order of Saint John to Malta.
For practicality's sake, one may divide the South of Malta into 3 main areas. Continuing from where we have arrived so far, this would be:
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Grand Harbour Area
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Southern Coast/Area
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South-Eastern Coast/Area
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Cospicua
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Kirkop
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Birzebbugia
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Fgura
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Luqa
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Delimara
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Kalkara
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Mqabba
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Ghaxaq
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Marsa
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Qrendi
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Gudja
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Paola
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Safi
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Marsaxlokk
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Santa Lucia
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Zurrieq
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San Tumas (St. Thomas Bay)
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Senglea
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Wied il-Ghajn (Marsaskala)
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Tarxien
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Zejtun
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Vittoriosa
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These locality names will eventually ALL link you to other
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Xghajra
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pages with more photographs and information, but most
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Zabbar
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are still under construction.
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some typical scenes from Malta's South
Additional notes on the region's History
The oldest among the Three Cities is Citta' Vittoriosa, better known by its Maltese name, il-Birgu, from Romance origins; Borgo, meaning 'city' or 'township', as this became the seat of the Grand Masters and home of the Knights when the Order eventually moved away from the Moorish city of Mdina towards the harbour area.
Grand Master L'Isle Adam (1521-34) immediately set out to fortify the Borgo, which before the arrival of the Order at Malta on October 26th, 1530, had been reported as a lone castle in very poor condition, so fortifications were built in anticipation of an Ottoman invasion, which actually took place in 1565.
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Apart from their Borgo, the Order built yet another fortified city within the Grand Harbour; a Fortress dedicated to St. Michael, the archangel perceived as a warrior and protector against evil — this at a time when the threat of an invasion from the infidel loomed ever closer. More commonly known as L-Isla, from the Spanish word for 'island' – despite actually being a peninsula – this city also became known as Senglea; its namesake being Grand Master Claude de la Sengle (1553-57) who commissioned it and originally called it Città Nuova.
After the Great Siege of 1565, Senglea was also dubbed Civitas Invicta, or the unvanquished city, for although fallen to the enemy's might it had done its part in weakening the invader's armada. Senglea was to receive yet another wave of destruction during WW2, owing to its proximity to the H.M. Dockyard. This time, the devastation extended also to Cospicua and the region in general.
But the region's history does not start with the Three Cities; far from it. In the countryside around Birzebbugia we find an ancient cave, substantial in size, known as Ghar Dalam. Here Malta's oldest animal remains were discovered. The museum built over the cave houses bones from (prehistoric) animals similar to those that roam/ed the African savannah and the European forests. Malta was home to pigmy elephants, rhinocerous, deer, and many other species. The mentioned museum provides explanations and is well worth a visit. Meanwhile, very brief overview on Ghar Dalam visit this page.
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Various Langues' Auberges
Order's Hospital / Nunnery