Heritage Malta will be holding another event in the popular Sundays With Heritage Malta with Sunday's activity focusing on Birżebbuġa and Marsaxlokk.
Through this activity, Heritage Malta will be giving the public the opportunity to visit three sites: Għar Dalam and the nearby Borġ in-Nadur in Birżebbuġa and Tas-Silġ in Marsaxlokk. Borġ in-Nadur and Tas-Silġ are not normally open to the public and this will be an opportunity for people to explore the sites and learn more about their relevance.
At Borġ in-Nadur one finds the remains of two very different Maltese prehistoric cultures: the Temple Culture (4,100 and 2,500BC) and the Bronze Age Culture (2,400 and 700BC). At around 2,500BC the Temple Culture came to a mysterious end probably because of a combination of factors including disease, war, famine, lack of natural resources, social and economic collapse.
The next group of inhabitants, who arrived from southern Europe, brought with them the Bronze Age Culture, metal and a new artistic style and architectural technique. They preferred to settle in easily-defendable locations which indicate that this was a period of unrest in the Mediterranean.
Tas-Silġ is another important site found on a hill overlooking Marsaxlokk Bay. Between 1963 and 1972, while excavations were being carried out on a number of temples from Punic and more recent periods, another older temple was found beneath them.
Għar Dalam is an important cave well known for the large quantities of animal fossils found in it but its importance is a result of the fact that the first signs of human activity in the Maltese islands were actually discovered there. Pottery, dating back to 5,200 BC, similar to pottery found in Stentinello in south-eastern Sicily, was found in the cave.
On Sunday, a multi-site ticket for Birżebbuġa and Marsaxlokk will be available for €5 (Lm2.15) for adults, students and senior citizens. Children under 16 enter free of charge. Heritage Malta members pay €2 (86c).
Tickets can be bought from Għar Dalam Cave and Museum and Tas-Silġ. Admission to Borġ in-Nadur and Tas-Silġ is only possible with guided tours which will be held at 10.30 a.m., 11.30 a.m., 2.30 p.m. and 3.30 p.m. at Borġ in-Nadur and at 11 a.m., 2.30 p.m. and 3.30 p.m. at Tas-Silġ.
Those participating in the Borġ in-Nadur tour will assemble in front of Għar Dalam 15 minutes prior to the start of each tour. Those taking part in the Tas-Silġ tours will meet at the entrance to Tas-Silġ five minutes before the start of the tour. All guided tours will be in Maltese.
Sundays With Heritage Malta have been specifically planned to cater for local families and to provide visitors with an enhanced experience that broadens awareness and knowledge on Malta's rich cultural heritage.