Tarxien

35.8649614.51136Koordinaten: 35 ° 52 ' N, 14 ° 31' O

Tarxien (or Hal Tarxien ) is a small village in the south-eastern part of Malta. The name probably stems from a combination of two words here: Tarzin an Arabic word for tree group and Tirix, which refers to a large stone, similar to how they were used to build the neolithic temples. The motto of the village is Tyrii Genure Coloni - " The Phoenicians created me."

Community life

Today in the settlement live 7751 people (as of 31 December 2010). An important part of the culture of Tarxien is the feast of the Annunciation, a religious holiday in late May. It is celebrated with large fireworks. Spend the summer, many residents on the coast, making the population drops to only about two-thirds of the in the colder months. The Feast of " Our Lady of the Doctrine " ( Maria) is celebrated on the third Sunday in July.

Former Prime Minister of Malta Dominic Mintoff, lived in Tarxien retired.

Community partnerships

Tarxien has partnerships with the Italian community Ovindoli and with the Bulgarian town of Veliko Tarnovo.

Structures

The oldest temple is dated to 2800 BC. There are many photos in the temples and reliefs of animals, such as goats - is known for Malta - and pigs. The best known is about 2 ½ m high statue of a fat woman, which is believed, it represents a mother goddess dar. There are many of these statues in many temples scattered and they are said to be a sign of fertility.

" Magna Mater" in the temple of Tarxien

A relief with goats, a pig and a ram