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Għajn Tuffieħa Tower

Field	Value
name	Għajn Tuffieħa Tower
native_name	Torri t'Għajn Tuffieħa
partof	the Lascaris towers
location	Mġarr, Malta
image	Ghajn Tuffiegha Tower.jpeg
caption	Għajn Tuffieħa Tower
type	Coastal watchtower
coordinates
ownership	Government of Malta
open_to_public	No
built	1637
builder	Order of Saint John
materials	Limestone
height	11 m
condition	Mostly intact

Għajn Tuffieħa Tower () is a small watchtower in Għajn Tuffieħa, limits of Mġarr, Malta. It was completed in 1637 as the second of the Lascaris towers. The tower is mostly intact although it is threatened by coastal erosion and was damaged during a storm in 2023.

History

View of the damage after the 2023 cyclone

Għajn Tuffieħa Tower was built in 1637 on the cliffs overlooking Għajn Tuffieħa Bay close to Mellieħa and Mġarr on the northwest coast of Malta. The tower has Lippija and Nadur Towers in its line of sight.

The tower was designed by the Italian architect Vincenzo Maculani. It is almost identical to Lippija Tower, having a square plan and two floors topped by a flat roof with a parapet. Each floor has a single room, and access to the upper floor was originally by a wooden ladder.

Għajn Tuffieħa Tower was built on the site of a medieval watch post. It was originally armed with a ½-pounder gun, and its garrison consisted of a captain and three men, who were paid by the Università, the government officials in charge of Malta at the time.

Present day

The tower was in poor condition until it was restored in 2000 with the support of the Director of Public Projects and Din l-Art Ħelwa. In 2012, vandals sprayed graffiti on two sides of the tower; this has since been removed.

The tower continued to be renovated by the Gaia Foundation, and it opened to the public in 2013 as part of a peace grove containing over 20 species of indigenous plants. The Gaia Foundation is reportedly no longer active, and as of 2023 there is no entity responsible for the tower's upkeep.

The tower is threatened by coastal erosion, and cracks can be seen on the cliffs upon which the tower is built. The terrain may be dangerous for walkers, as some people have lost their life on the rocks in the immediate vicinity of the tower.

During the night of 9–10 February 2023, the tower was damaged during Cyclone Helios. Some of its masonry collapsed amidst gale-force winds and heavy rain, leaving a hole within the tower's upper section.

References

(2011). "It-Toponomastika ta' Malta: Il-Mellieħa u Madwarha". Għaqda tal-Folklor.
(1984). "Fortifications in the Middle Ages". PEG Ltd.
"Fortifications - Ghajn Tuffieha Tower".
(20 July 2012). "Graffiti daubed across Knights' tower". [[Times of Malta]].
(24 June 2013). "Għajn Tuffieħa tower now open to public". [[Times of Malta]].
(25 April 2007). "Ghajn Tuffieha tower in danger of collapse". [[Times of Malta]].
(1 September 2019). "Man found dead at bottom of cliff". [[Times of Malta]].
(10 February 2023). "17th-century Għajn Tuffieha tower damaged in storm". [[Times of Malta]].

Info: Wikipedia Source

This article was imported from Wikipedia and is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Content has been adapted to SurfDoc format. Original contributors can be found on the article history page.

1637-establishments-in-malta lascaris-towers mġarr national-inventory-of-the-cultural-property-of-the-maltese-islands towers-completed-in-1637

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