Għajn Ħadid Tower

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Għajn Ħadid Tower (right) and log cabin (left)

The Għajn Ħadid Tower is a fortification in Malta built during the rule of the Order of St. John in 1658 . The tower stands on the Għajn Ħadid Cliffs on the L-Ahrax tal-Mellieha section of the north coast of the island of Malta . He monitored access to Mellieħa Bay and the Gozo Canal .

The tower was the first in a series of thirteen watchtowers that were built during the reign of Grand Master Martin de Redin from 1657 to 1660. These towers are also known as de Redin Towers after him . Compared to the Wignacourt Towers , built between 1609 and 1614 , the task of these towers had changed. Much smaller and less armed, they served primarily as observation posts, from which the garrison in Valletta and other places should be alerted when an enemy fleet approached . For this purpose, the towers, together with the Wignancourt Towers and the Lascaris Towers, were arranged within sight of each other so that optical signals could be transmitted day and night.

Like all other de Redin Towers, the Għajn Ħadid Tower has a square floor plan. The side length is around 8.1 m. The tower had two floors. In the basement there was a larger, windowless storage room. Access to this room was at ground level.

During the British colonial rule, these towers were initially still in use. In 1813, Captain Dickens proposed that the towers be reinforced and the order's coastal fortifications expanded. However, these plans did not come to fruition. In 1828, Captain Jones of the Royal Engineers suggested demolishing all the towers. He justified his suggestion with the fact that the towers would not withstand a bombardment with modern artillery for long, but an extension would be too expensive. The structural condition of the towers had deteriorated in the past few years, some were in a ruinous state, others needed repair. In 1832, Colonel Morshead, Chief Royal Engineer , ordered all towers to be demolished. Ultimately, demolition was abandoned and the existing towers were handed over to the local authorities.

The tower was destroyed in a severe earthquake in 1856. The nearby log house survived the earthquake largely undamaged. Since it was militarily useless and located far from the settlement areas, the tower was not rebuilt. The coat of arms of the reigning Grand Master, which was originally located above the entrance, is displayed in the tas-salib garden in Mellieħa . There is also a 6-pounder cannon that was placed on the tower until the earthquake.

  • North side of the tower

  • West side of the tower

  • inside view

  • View from the tower to the north over the Gozo Channel and Comino

  • View from the tower to the east over the cliff to St Paul's Islands

literature

Web links

Commons : Għajn Ħadid Tower  - collection of pictures, videos and audio files

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Stephen C. Spiteri: Naxxar and its fortifications.
  2. ↑ a b c Quentin Hughes: Malta. A guide to the fortifications , pp. 95ff

Coordinates: 35 ° 58 ′ 4 "  N , 14 ° 23 ′ 6"  E