Aqueducts in Malta

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The aqueducts on Malta were used to supply water to the main towns on Malta ( Valletta ) and Gozo ( Victoria ). The porous globigerine limestone , of which the islands of the archipelago consist almost entirely, allows the precipitation to seep away quickly. There are therefore no rivers or lakes.

In wet winters, the Wieds (Maltese name for the dry valleys ) carry water for some time. For geological reasons, there are two aquifers in Malta. Below the Mdina plateau lies a layer of impermeable blue clay between the limestone layers . The fresh water resources above the clay layer are relatively easy to tap.

Wignacourt Aqueduct

Wignacourt Aqueduct

Kercem aqueduct

Between 1839 and 1843 the British built the aqueduct to supply Victoria on Gozo , remnants of which have survived northwest of Kercem. Kercem is located west of the island's capital, Victoria, between the Lunzjata Valley and the highest point on Gozo, the Ghar Ilma Hill (Hill of Water) with the source from which the water for the aqueduct was drawn.

literature

  • Hans E. Latzke: DuMont travel paperback Malta with Gozo and Comino . 2004, ISBN 3-7701-5972-1 .
  • Geoffrey Aquilina Ross (Photos: Eddie Aquilina, Daniel Cilia): Images Of Malta .