Mellieħa
35.95833333333314.361666666667Koordinaten: 35 ° 57 ' N, 14 ° 22' O
Mellieha is a rural, undeveloped tourist town of the Republic of Malta with a population of 8227 (as of 31 December 2010). It lies in the northwest of the island on a hill between St. Paul 's Bay and Mellieha Bay. The municipality also includes the uninhabited Saint Paul 's Islands.
History
Finds of simple tools and graves suggest that Mellieha has been inhabited since 3000 BC.
During the Roman and Byzantine occupation of Malta (ca. 210 BC to 870 AD ) lived in the region around Mellieha mainly farmers and fishermen. As dwellings mainly natural caves were. In times of Arab occupation ( 870-1127 AD), leave the Mellieha region of the inhabitants.
During the reigns of St. John (1530-1798) Mellieha was gradually repopulated. The then built and preserved to this day in parts of the chapel of the Blessed Virgin Mary served the residents of Malta as a whole pilgrimage. It contains a painted directly on the rock of Mary, which is to come by Luke the Evangelist according to legend, but actually originated in the 13th century.
The British seized power in Malta in 1800 resulted in a sustained repopulating Mellieħas.
Economic importance and
The main source of income is tourism Mellieħas today. The beach along the Mellieha Bay is considered the longest sandy beach in Malta and is used extensively by tourists and locals. The Mellieha Bay is lined with several hotels and a Danish holiday village.
The strategic location along the route from Valletta to the islands of Gozo and Comino Mellieha makes a hub for the goods of surrounding lands of the North West of Malta. At Mellieha also includes the village of Marfa Ridge, which is easily reached by bus or on foot. Here are the ferry dock to Comino and Gozo and the harbor for pleasure boats, which holds a rich offer for divers.
About two kilometers west of the city is the Popeye Village Fun Park, a major tourist attraction on the banks of Anchor Bay.
Twinning
Mellieha has partnerships with three cities: