By: Jesmond Darmanin

Pronounce "Zurrieq"

Zurrieq is located in the south-west of the island of Malta. It is surrounded by country side and shares its borders with Hal-Safi, Hal-Far, Qrendi and Mqabba. The bus route numbers that stop at the Zurrieq terminus are 32, 34 and 39. Zurrieq was mentioned in the list of 'Milizja' as early as 1419 and it became a parish in 1436.

The people of Zurrieq

The population of Zurrieq is about 8,860. In the past, villagers depended mainly on fishing and agriculture. These two There are two sports clubs, two band clubs and two political clubs in Zurrieq. There are also some youth and religious centres and a large number of pubs. Local clubs organise a number of activities including parties, discos, sport activities, charity, religious meetings and many other activities covering most of the age groups of the population of Zurrieq. The Madonna of Carmel and the St. Chaterine band clubs organise a feast in mid-July and the beginning of September respectively. The feast activities usually take a week and they consist of band marches in the streets of Zurrieq and fire work shows.

Natural attractions

Zurrieq got its name from the deep blue colour of the sea near the village. Zurrieq come from the word 'zeraq' or 'zernaq', meaning blue. The major attractions in Zurrieq are the Blue Grotto and Wied iz-Zurrieq, located in the Western part of the village. Wied iz-Zurrieq is an outlet to the sea, where one can have a swim in the blue sea, or else visit the Blue Grotto and the surrounding coastline by a trip on the "daghjsa", a traditional Maltese fishing boat. The Blue Grotto is famous for the clarity of the water and the brilliant colours around the rocks in the caves. Many tourists cannot resist taking a dip in the water when visiting the Grotto.

The Blue Grotto is about 40 meters in circumference and reaches a depth of 26 meters. The cavern faces the East and in early morning the rays of the sun light up the entire cavern giving a unique spectacle. There are also some stalactites in the cave. Legend has it that there is a tunnel which connects the Grotto with the Church of St. Chaterine.

The island of Filfla lies to the South of the village and can be seen clearly from the cliffs around Wied iz-Zurrieq.

In the country side, at Wied Babu, one can find a rare plant named Widnet il-Bahar. The plant has been picked as the national plant symbol of Malta. Since the area of Wied iz-Zurrieq attracts many people, a number of restaurants can be found there. The fresh sea food dishes are excellent.

In 1417 the promonotory at Wied iz-Zurrieq served as a sea guard station.

Pre-Historic Sites

Two significant pre-historic sites can be found in the vicinity of Zurrieq. These are the temples of Hagar Qim and Mnajdra. The temples are actually located between Zurrieq and Qrendi.

The Mnajdra temples are a few hundred yards below Hagar Qim, close to the cliffs. The Mnajdra temples actually consist of three temples. The outside walls of the temples consist of blocks of coralline limestone. The interior walls are mostly made of softer globerina.

The smallest and perhaps the oldest of the three has two apses (a vaulted semicircular or polygonal recess) but three thresholds. The central temple, the last to be built, includes an artificial terrace. Stone blocks of the inside wall are nearly all of the same dimension, each weighing several hundred pounds. The temple has two pairs of apses. The last temple has four apses containing a number of niches, some of which are decorated with carvings and the others consist of two levels, the upper one being supported by a central column. Monolithic doors lead to the "oracle chambers" situated behind the apses. The columns of the doors of the central isle support lintels (a horizontal member supporting the weight above an opening) of impressive dimensions. The main portal is nearly three meters high.

The Hagar Qim temples are the most complex and elaborate of the Ggantija epoch temples and are built exclusively of limestone blocks, many several meters high and weighing tons. One of the original features of Hagar Qim consist of a number of small altars of carved stones. One of the altars that was part of the temple is now located in the National Museum. It represents the tree of life holding up a shallow bowl. Statues of "fat" women, though to represent fertility, were found in this and other temples. All remaining examples of these statues are headless. The heads were separate from the body and it is though that wood was used to hold the head in position.

The huge limestone rocks used in these temples are called ‘menhir’ and the large horizontal rocks called 'dolmen'. These temples are an example of the building skills of the people who lived in Malta over four thousand years ago. The temples were built almost 1,000 years before the pyramids of Giza and are considered to be the oldest temples of their kind in existence. Located close to the cliffs of the southern coast of Malta, away from any built up areas, these temples offer a breath-taking view of the Mediterranean and the surrounding countryside.

Buildings and Monuments

Zurrieq has many churches and chapels. The parish church, built between 1643 and 1659, is dedicated to St. Catherine and it contains many works of famous artists. An old chapel, located in "Hal-Milieri" is an example of Gothic style buildings. Other churches that can be found in Zurrieq include: Tal-Lunzjata; San Gakbu; tal-Kuncizjoni; San Bartilmew; San Luqa; Sant' Andrija; Sant' Agata; Santa Marija (tal-Baqqari); Santa Marija (Ta' Bubaqra'); San Leo; and San Gwann.

There are a total of five wind mills in Zurrieq. The most popular is the 'Mithna tax-Xarolla' which was damaged a few years ago by strong winds. It is currently being repaired and will soon be open to the public. Other important architectural sites include a tower built in Phoenician times. The tower is located in a street behind the parish church. There are other towers in the vicinity, including the "Torri ta’ Bubaqra" and another one at Wied iz-Zurrieq.

The Armeria Palace is located at the entrance to the village. The palace was built at the ned of the 17th century. It was used as an armory by the Knights of Malta during the reign of Grandmasters di Pinto, Ximenes and de Rohan. One of the prominent features of this palace is a crenellated watch tower at the back of the palace. Another palace, 'il-Palaz tan-Nigret', can also be found in Zurrieq.

Well known citizens of Zurrieq

Mons. Prof. Pietru Pawl Saydon, famous for his translation of the bible to the Maltese language, lived in Zurrieq. A monument dedicated to Mons. Saydon was inaugurated in the garden in front of the local school on the November 12, 1995. The dedication of the monument coincided with the centenary of his birth.

Another important person who lived at Zurrieq was Mattia Preti, a famous Maltese painter who lived in the 17th Century. Some of his works include the frescoed vault at St. John's Co-Cathedral; the paintings in the Chapel of St. George in St. John's Co-Cathedral; and a fresco of "The Shipwreck of St. Paul" at Mdina's Cathedral. He also worked on some of the painting in the parish church. His home is still standing and is now used as the offices for the local council. A famous botanist, Stiefnu Zerafa, also lived at Zurrieq. He was responsible for important studies of the Maltese Flora.

Wied iz-zurrieq was a favorite haunt of Governor Sir Walter Norris Congreve and of Admiral Lord Louis Mountbatten. The former was buried at sea between Filfa and Malta in 1927.

Tourist & Visitor Information

A automated public information Kiosk with a touch screen gives some information about the locality and the rest of the island. It is located in the bus terminus near the office of the public transport authority. There are two bank branches and there is also 24 hr ATM service available at the braches. The ATMs accept major credit cards.

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