Tarxien
Ħal Tarxien | |
|---|---|
 Tarxien Parish Church | |
 Flag  Coat of arms | |
| Motto(s): Tyrii Genure Coloni (The Phoenicians Created Me) | |
 | |
| Coordinates: 35°51′57″N 14°30′43″E / 35.86583°N 14.51194°E | |
| Country |  Malta |
| Region | Port Region |
| District | Southern Harbour District |
| Borders | Fgura, Luqa, Ghaxaq, Paola, Santa Luċija, Żejtun |
| Government | |
| • Mayor | Joseph Abela (PL) |
| Area | |
| • Total | 0.9 km2 (0.3 sq mi) |
| Population (Jan. 2019) | |
| • Total | 8,627 |
| • Density | 9,600/km2 (25,000/sq mi) |
| Demonym(s) | Tarxiniż (m), Tarxiniża (f), Tarxiniżi (pl) |
| Time zone | UTC+1 (CET) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC+2 (CEST) |
| Postal code | TXN |
| Dialing code | 356 |
| ISO 3166 code | MT-59 |
| Patron saint | Annunciation |
| Day of festa | 3rd Sunday of May (Annunciation) 3rd Sunday of July (Our Lady of Doctrine) |
| Website | Official website |
Tarxien (Maltese: Ħal Tarxien) is a town in the Port region of Malta, seat of the Port Regional Council.[1] Its population stood at 8583 in March 2014.[2]
The town is most notable for the Tarxien Temples, a megalithic temple complex which is among the oldest freestanding structures on Earth. It forms part of a UNESCO World Heritage Site.[3]
The etymology of the village may be a corruption of Tirix, meaning a large stone, similar to those used for the village's noted temples.[4] The village motto is Tyrii Genure Coloni ("The Phoenicians created me").
Tarxien's population stood at 7,724 villagers in December 2008, which increased to 8,583 by March 2014.[2] When the summer comes, the heat drives most of the citizens of Ħal Tarxien to the seaside villages of Malta, often bringing down the population of the village to about two-thirds of what it is during the colder months.
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Main article: Tarxien Temples |
The oldest temple here is said to date back to about 3600 BCE. The temples feature various statues and reliefs of animals, including goats (for which Malta is noted) and pigs. Most notable of the statues found in the Temples are about 2.5 m in height, and are said to represent a sort of Mother Goddess. There are several of these statues scattered around the various temples, and are thought to represent fertility. There was also one of three small baked clay figurines in the form of what is said to be a priest that was found here.
The parish church of Ħal Tarxien is dedicated to the Annunciation of Our Lady, hence the Tarxinizi (the people of Ħal Tarxien) consider the Blessed Virgin Mary, particularly at Her Annunciation as the Patron and Protector of their town and its whole population. The church was elevated to the status of parish in 1592, making it one of the oldest parishes of Malta. A key part of Ħal Tarxien culture is the feast of the Annunciation, whose feast is celebrated in late May or first Sunday of June. It is celebrated with religious celebrations and liturgical services at the parish church, and publicly with street decorations, band marches in the village streets and large aerial and ground firework displays.
The second largest church in town is dedicated to the Resurrection of Christ better known by the locals as "Ta' l-Erwieħ" (Maltese pronunciation: [tɐ.lɛrˈwɪːħ]). The word means "of the souls" and it is used due to the old cemetery that surrounds the church. This church is right next to the renowned Tarxien Neolithic Temples and is visited by many tourists as many of the prehistoric remains were also found in the mentioned cemetery.
There are two other small chapels in Ħal Tarxien. These are dedicated to St. Bartholomew and St. Mary respectively.
There is also another chapel which is housed in the convent of the Sisters of Charity. This is dedicated to 'Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception'. The same congregation have a school.
There is also another church dedicated to St. Nicholas of Tolentino and a convent which belongs to the Augustinian Friars.
The Ħal Tarxien local council members are:
There are two band clubs in Ħal Tarxien. These are the "Għaqda Mużikali Marija Annunzjata" and the "Ghaqda Muzikali Madonna tad-Duttrina", with same clubs seeing their beginnings in 1862 and 1997 respectively. The main aims of these clubs are to promote the music culture amongst the locals of Ħal Tarxien and to co-organise the external festivities of their respective feasts. "Għaqda Mużikali Marija Annunzjata" organises the titular feast of the Annunciation of Our Lady held annually during the last week of May/first week of June, whilst the "Ghaqda Muzikali Madonna tad-Duttrina" organises the secondary feast of the village, that of Our lady of Christian Doctrine held annually in the third week of July.
