Mellieħa
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Mellieħa Il-Mellieħa |
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| Local council | |||
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Mellieħa as viewed from the sea
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| Coordinates: 35°57′23″N 14°21′59″E / 35.95639°N 14.36639°ECoordinates: 35°57′23″N 14°21′59″E / 35.95639°N 14.36639°E | |||
| Country |
 Malta
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| Region | Northern Region | ||
| District | Northern District | ||
| Borders | Mġarr, St. Paul's Bay | ||
| Government | |||
| • Mayor | John Buttigieg (PL) | ||
| Area | |||
| • Total | 22.6 km2 (8.7 sq mi) | ||
| Elevation | 150 m (490 ft) | ||
| Population (March 2014) | |||
| • Total | 10,087 | ||
| • Density | 450/km2 (1,200/sq mi) | ||
| Demonym(s) | Mellieħi (m), Melliħija (f), Melliħin (pl) | ||
| Time zone | CET (UTC+1) | ||
| • Summer (DST) | CEST (UTC+2) | ||
| Postal code | MLH | ||
| Dialing code | 356 | ||
| ISO 3166 code | MT-30 | ||
| Patron saint | Our Lady of Victories | ||
| Day of festa | 8 September | ||
| Website | Official website | ||
Mellieħa (Maltese: il-Mellieħa [ɪl mɛˈlːɪːħɐ]) is a large village or small town in the Northern Region of Malta. It has a population of 10,087 as of March 2014. Mellieħa is also a tourist resort, popular for its sandy beaches and natural environment.
The name Mellieħa is derived from the Semitic root m-l-ħ, which means salt. This is probably derived from the ancient Punic-Roman salt pans which existed at Mellieħa Bay. The site of the salt pans is now occupied by the Għadira Nature Reserve.
Mellieħa was first inhabited in around 3000 BC, during the Neolithic. Several megalithic remains have been found, including the temple of Għajn Żejtuna, as well as several caves and tombs, in which tools and pottery fragments were found.
During the Roman period, troglodytes began to live in the caves of Mellieħa's valleys. The cave settlements continued to exist during Byzantine rule, but were abandoned in the early medieval period.
According to the Acts of the Apostles, St. Paul was shipwrecked in Malta in around 60 AD, possibly in the nearby St. Paul's Bay. According to local tradition, St. Luke, who was accompanying St. Paul, came across one of Mellieħa's caves and painted the figure of Our Lady on the rock face. In 409 AD, the cave was consecrated as a church, and it is now known as the Sanctuary of Our Lady of Mellieħa.
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Wikipedia