Xewkija

Xewkija

coat of arms	map
Basic data
State :	Malta
Gzejjer :	Gozo and Comino
Distretti :	Gozo and Comino
Area :	4,527,101 km²
Residents :	3241 (December 31, 2018)
Population density :	716 inhabitants / km²
ISO 3166-2 :	MT-62
Website :	www.xewkija.gov.mt
politics
Mayor :	Monica Vella ( PL )

Coordinates: 36 ° 2 ′  N , 14 ° 15 ′  E

Xewkija, view from the south

Xewkija [ ʃɛʊ̯ˈkɪjɐ ] (or Ix-Xewkija ) is a city on the island of Gozo in the Republic of Malta . It has 3241 inhabitants (as of December 31, 2018), making it the fourth largest municipality on Gozo.

history

For prehistory and early history see: Megalithic systems of Ta 'Blankas .

Xewkija, located between Għajnsielem and the island's capital Victoria Rabat , is Gozo's oldest city. It was split off on November 27, 1678 as the first parish from the district of the island's capital. Bishop Glormu Molina decreed the secession and Dun Greżż Farrugia from Valletta became the first parish priest . It was the first district ( contrada ) known as the village ( casale ).

The name Xewkija is derived from Arabic and indicates that there used to be wide fields with thorn bushes in this area.

economy

The Gozo branch of the University of Malta and the offices of the employment office are located on the outskirts . There is also the Gozo Stadium, a state farm, the St. Maria and the city cemetery of Xewkija. There is also an industrial park with companies that employ hundreds of Gozo workers.

New houses had to be built for the growing population of Xewkija. Construction areas were designated in Tal-Barmil , Ta 'Gokk and Tal-Ħamrija .

coat of arms

Xewkija's flag

The coat of arms of Xewkija shows a broad horizontal red stripe between two green thistles with silver (white) flowers on a gold background. The flag shows the corresponding picture.

Attractions

Statue of John the Baptist

The church in Xewkija

Interior of the church of Xewkija

Xewkija is known for its majestic church, the Rotunda , which is dedicated to John the Baptist . It was built on the site of an older church. It is the seat of the Knights of the Order of Malta (Order of St. John). It is built from Maltese sandstone by local stonecutters and other craftsmen. It is the largest church in Gozo and towers over the city. Its dome has the fourth largest diameter of a church dome in Europe, only surpassed by St. Peter's Basilica in Rome, St Paul's Cathedral in London and the Rotunda Santa Marija Assunta in Mosta on Malta . Its architect was Joseph D'Amato.

When you reach Xewkija on the main road, at the entrance to the village you can see the remains of a mill that was built in the time of the Grand Master Ramon Perellos y Roccaful . This mill is unique in Gozo, as its 8 corners point in the eight most important directions.

It is said that in the place of today's church there used to be a stone known as Maqgad ix-Xiħ . Nearby is a chapel called 'Madonna il-Ħniena' (English: our benevolent lb. wife). She was dedicated to St. Bartholomew consecrated. The Santa Ċeċilja Tower in Xewkija was also there. There is also another tower with the oldest sundial in Xewkiah. The remains of the Tingħi Tower disappeared in the last century. These towers were built in 1613. Another tower from the 14th century , the Tower of Gorgion , was used as a residence by the grand masters. It was demolished to make way for a temporary airfield during the Second World War .

At Misraħ Imbert (Eng .: Imbertplatz) you can see the grinding marks from the directions Borġ Għarib, Mġarr ix-Xini, Ta 'Ċenċ and Tas-Salvatur .

The Xewkija of the Arab period is an interesting study object. The marble stone of Majmuna with Arabic inscriptions from 1173 was found here. It commemorates the death of an Arab girl named Majmuna in Xewkija. The inscription is carved into a thick marble slab, on the underside of which there is a pagan symbol. This plate was apparently taken from a pagan temple. Father Gabrijel D'Alappo translated the inscription into Italian ; later it was translated into Maltese . In 1845 the translation was sent to the public library and in 1960 it was transferred to the National Museum of Gozo. Today the Majmuna Stone is one of the most treasured historical remains in Malta.

Music band

The Banda Prekursur (Prekursur-Band) is the oldest still existing association in Xewkija. It was founded on May 13, 1929. Lorenzo Żammit Ħaber, Marcell Mercieca, Giuseppe Buttiġieġ, Giovanni Ħaber and Tomaso Attard were the founding members. The first meeting was held at 8:40 pm and the band was christened. Mr Lorenzo Żammit Ħaber was its president and first secretary.

Web links

Commons : Xewkija  - collection of images, videos and audio files

• Radju Prekursur - Xewkija radio station (Maltese)
• Xewkija City Council (English)

Individual evidence

1. ↑ StatDB of the National Statistics Office Malta , accessed on August 1, 2020