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Qrendi

Qrendi
Il-Qrendi
Crendi, Krendi
Local council
Qrendi Parish Church
Qrendi Parish Church
Flag of Qrendi
Flag
Coat of arms of Qrendi
Coat of arms
Motto: Tyrium Dirutas Servo Moles
Qrendi in Malta.svg
Coordinates: 35°50′3″N 14°27′32″E / 35.83417°N 14.45889°E / 35.83417; 14.45889Coordinates: 35°50′3″N 14°27′32″E / 35.83417°N 14.45889°E / 35.83417; 14.45889
Country  Malta
Region Southern Region
District South Eastern District
Borders Mqabba, Siġġiewi, Żurrieq
Government
 • Mayor David Michael Schembri (PL)
Area
 • Total 4.9 km2 (1.9 sq mi)
Population (March 2014)
 • Total 2,752
 • Density 560/km2 (1,500/sq mi)
Demonym(s) Qrendi (m), Qrendija (f), Qrendin (pl)
Time zone CET (UTC+1)
 • Summer (DST) CEST (UTC+2)
Postal code QRD
Dialing code 356
ISO 3166 code MT-44
Patron saint Assumption of Mary
Our Lady of Lourdes
Day of festa 15 August (Assumption)
1st Sunday of July (Our Lady of Lourdes)
Website Qrendi Local Council Website

Qrendi (Maltese: Il-Qrendi) is a small village in the Southern Region of Malta, with a population of 2752 people as of March 2014. It is located close to Mqabba and Żurrieq. Within its boundaries are two well-known Neolithic temples called Mnajdra and Ħaġar Qim. In this village two feasts are held annually. The feast of Our Lady of Lourdes is celebrated either on the last Sunday of June or on the first Sunday of July, with the 15 August the titular feast of the Ascension of Our Lady. This feast is popularly known as the feast of Santa Maria.

Although the majority of the village's old core buildings remain today, Qrendi has changed considerably in recent times. A bypass road has been built to divert through-traffic away from the village, modern suburb developments has been built and an open space with a bus terminus being created in front of the Parish Church by removing the walled grounds from an old villa.

Fossilized remains of animals dating back to the Quaternary Period have been found in the environs of Qrendi. The remains were found in caves and coastal deposits within the Magħlaq Fault or Wied tal-Magħlaq. The caves came to light in 1858, when the area began to be quarried for its hard coralline rock which was used to build the docks in the Grand Harbour.

Studies were then taken up by Commander Thomas Abel Brimage Spratt in 1861, who excavated a site known as Ħalq is-Siġar at Magħlaq and confirmed the presence of a variety of fossilised animal remains, including an abundance of hippopotami bones, evidence of dwarf elephants, giant dormice, weasels, owls, bats and birds, besides many other snail fossils. The discovery further yielded complete skeletons of elephants and a large number of bones pertaining to sea birds.

In around 3600 BC, the temples of Ħaġar Qim and Mnajdra, which are among the oldest freestanding structures in the world, were built in what is now the outskirts of Qrendi. Other ancient sites such as tombs and dolmens have also been found in the limits of Qrendi.


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Wikipedia

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