Part of Dwejra 'Azure window' collapses

A.M. Galea

May 24th 2012, 17:46

Time to send some one with a par idejn sodi to hold the remaining structure in place . After all , he will probably lose his job in a few months time .

Steve Elliott

May 16th 2012, 21:39

time to rename it the collapsing 'Azure window'

Robert Zammit

Apr 18th 2012, 18:19

Yes last I watch out fall in Rough sea and bad weather ! in March 2012

Mjohn borg

Apr 18th 2012, 13:53

Leave nature to do its things....

Joe Xuereb

Apr 18th 2012, 13:03

I hope the fish swimming and minding their own business just under the supporting column which saw a 'tunellata ġobon tat-tursina' (blue-veined cheese) sliced off its face just like that - we humans could have seen it coming but not the fish.. They're not human. They're superhuman; they can reproduce themselves five thousand fold just like that, to feed as many, salt and vinegar on the house - ...... I imagine they got quite a fright and I hope that their end came quick and fast. I mean it cannot be nice to be trapped from the dorsal fin down under a huge boulder, stupidly blowing bubbles to the surface in a hopeless attempt to draw attention to your plight. I wonder if there's a fish heaven and a fish hell? I know there are kebab joints all over the place - must be very hot going round and round while being skewered. In any case, they dont kebab fish. Kebab and chips, yes! Fish and chips, absolutely! But kebabed fish, with or without chips?! Nah!!!!

I've just had a thought. I wonder if Renzo Piano......... http://the-shard.com/shard ....... had a dream whereby he saw the lintel of the window collapse? And this gave him the idea of a gap in the City Walls instead of a proper doorway. A nightmare that turned into a bonus, sort of thing. With a bit of creativity and some more lateral thinking. And then he went and ruined it all. In his dream he saw a rehabilitated Azure (depending on the weather as it can get quite cold and nasty and blowy and choppy out there beyond, and this side, of the frame in question) Window, with the horizontal being supported by gigantic pylons. Hence the idea for a hung(pun intended) Parliament on stilts. See! there's a reason for everything.

The inside frame may now look a bit askew but the semblance of a window remains. Fill-in colour according to taste but preferably, a sharp azure as only in Malta exists.

Carmel Vella

Apr 18th 2012, 07:35

It's the FABULOUS Mediterranean. May it rule for ever.

Toni Cini

Apr 17th 2012, 23:08

So it-Tieqa tad-Dwejra is crumbling and there is nothing we can do about it ... don't panic!

There is another "tieqa" in Wied il-Mielah. It is bigger although not as spectacular. Up to a few years ago the area was contaminated by sewage outflow but that should have cleared away now. Don't know where Wied il-Mielah is? Take it as homework :) Find it out and pay it a visit ... it's worth the trouble.

Julian Zammit

Apr 17th 2012, 21:36

How typical for Windows to unexpectedly crash on us like that...

J. Abela

Apr 17th 2012, 21:15

There are ways to save the azure window from eroding completely. But these ways are so destructive and so harmful to the natural surroundings, that the same people down here who are crying out for something to be done will be the same ones to cry out against any intervention.

Bernard Bezzina

Apr 17th 2012, 20:06

Shoreline erosion is everywhere. Waves pound the shore with water , sand and even rocks . This undercuts cliffs causing large sections of rock and sediment to fall into the water. Sea stacks form when waves bend around a headland of rock that juts out into the sea. First a cave is eroded into the side of the headland. This gradually gets bigger until an arch forms. Once the top of the arch collapses an isolated pillar or stack is left behind. That's what will happen to azure window.............it's just that it's happenning in our living time. Nothing can stop nature hehe

David Shaw

Apr 17th 2012, 19:54

The sea always has, and always will rule our coastlines throught the world

Alfred Falzon

Apr 17th 2012, 19:10

The Dwejra "Azure Window" is alas doomed to collapse just like other similar geological structures throughout the world. There is nothing that can be done in this particular case, and we have to accept willy nilly seeing Nature follow its normal course. Man against Nature stands no chance of gaining the upper hand...so-called "Mother Nature" being impassive to all that surrounds it!!

All we can do is take snapshots of "then and now"!

We are indeed lucky to be able to enjoy still the Wied il-Mielah l/o Gharb natural rock window, in Gozo as well, which is a gem in itself! The winding road leading to it has been well seen to by the hard-working Gharb Local Council which has made a heritage trail out of it!

As for those ramblers, locals and foreign visitors included, who are interested in these geological patterns, the rugged South West coast of Malta, that stretch of open garrigue that hugs the sea from Wied iz-Zurrieq to ix-Xaqq, past the Congreve Memorial and Mnajdra temples, provides quite a few spectacular views akin to the Dwejra one albeit on a much smaller scale.

By the way, that's what is happening when it is a matter of our urban sprawl, even though there is man's imprint behind it! Nothing is static!

In fact, "Malta Then and Now" photo albums and other Melitensia works provide quite a thrill down memory lane!

So dear compatriots and visitors from abroad let's enjoy them while they last!

Alfred A. Falzon

Janet Bayes

Apr 17th 2012, 17:00

Neptune or maybe King Canute wanted a bigger window to look out of. LOL

D Fava

Apr 17th 2012, 16:12

It's nature guys. No one is to blame. The natural arch took millions of years to form by erosion and now it's time to form a stack.

Brian Portelli

Apr 17th 2012, 15:45

Leave nature take its toll... what's the fuss?

Charles Attard

Apr 17th 2012, 15:44

Since we're all blaming the government here, how about we get its very efficient employees (well, the majority of them...if you know what I mean) to collect that massive piece of rock from the bottom of the sea, and just simply paste the thing back. How about getting those guys who are doing the roads in Victoria to do it....I'm sure they'll get it done before another massive chunk falls down.

Victor Pulis

Apr 17th 2012, 15:39

The Azure window is a natural formation unlike man made structures it cannot be maintained but nature must be left to take its course. One day the span will collapse into the sea and we will be left with a new natural sight. On 10June2009 the same thing happened to Loch Ard Gorge, Island Archway in Australia where a simlar structure fell into the sea. I'm sure no one blamed the Australian government for the collapse!

Franco Farrugia

Apr 17th 2012, 15:06

I am no architerct, of course, and am probably going to suggest something ridiculous - but here goes:
Is it at all possible to assess the amount of rock that has been dislodged and has fallen into the sea below? Is it at all possible to have specialised divers to salvage the original rock that has fallen and eventually bring it back to land and put back in its original place, with nuts, bolts and belts? All this, of course, after a proper assessment to verify if the remaining parts of the 'Window' can withstand this challenge.
As I said, this suggestion could well be deemed as ridiculous, but hey, reading some of the comment below, I would be in good company.

Mr John Mallia

Apr 17th 2012, 14:55

The collapse happened between Easter Sunday 8th and Monday 9th during the very strong Northwesterly and the high waves it generated. I took pictures on Monday and the wedge from the western wall was missing.
The collapse is a normal geomorphological process. One day we'll end up with a pillar jutting out of the sea. Il-Bajja tad-Dwejra behind il-Ġebla tal-Ġeneral was probably once enclosed, then probably windows appeared on the outer, sea-facing wall on either side of today's Ġebla, until these collapsed too and left the Ġebla tal-Ġeneral as a stand-alone rock. That's the beauty of nature.

robert william ciantar

Apr 17th 2012, 14:30

... Well well,... politics apart ( if we may ?) ...... Maybe when there is nothing left of the Azure window, we may consider exploring the idea of rock bolting ... !!! or take the easy way out and change the name for the place .... tipo .. Azure Column !!!!

James Tyrrell

Apr 17th 2012, 14:04

I see we have the usual comments here where people are being called idiots for blaming the Government for the collapse. But is it really such a stupid comment? The Azure Window is one of the most important areas anywhere in Malta from the point of view of tourist attraction so are we saying that no one is responsible for its upkeep? Yes it was formed by nature and I have no doubt that at some point in time nature will destroy it but surely a study should be started to find out if there is any way to delay that destruction for as long as possible. If we wait until the centre span falls into the sea it will be too late to do anything and then the questions being asked will be why wasn't something done when there was still time.

So who is responsible for the Azure Window? Ultimately we are all responsible for it, because it is up to those alive today to ensure that the Window is there for the children of tomorrow. We don't own these places we are simply caretakers and by allowing it to collapse into the sea future generations will say that we didn't take very good care of it. The point is that the ordinary Joe in the street can't do anything on his own. The only ones with the power to do something are the Government and if they fail to take action and the Azure Window is lost forever then yes the Government will be responsible simply for doing nothing.

We saw a few years ago how much the Government cares about this area when through its authority MEPA they allowed the dumping of forty lorry loads of sand on top of the fossil beds in order for some idiots to make a stupid film. Imagine any other country allowing a contender for one of the natural wonders of the world to be treated in such a way. Now is their opportunity to show that they do care and given the fact that this is an attraction known the world over they will be judged by their actions or inactions.

Joe Xuereb

Apr 17th 2012, 14:01

Let us show Nature who is in charge. Despair not! We can demolish, tastefully of course, the lintel of the window and voila`, Malta will have its own Shard (with the compliments of Mr. Piano) and as spectacular as instant coffee. OK, not as high as the Shard but not entirely without merit. While Im here, Piano's Shard is a magnificent creation but the man himself has no place in Baroque Valletta, where anything that jars, jars big time because of its minute dimensions. And keep him away from M-garr.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2123112/Now-Shard-Highest-point-Europes-tallest-building-lifted-place-rea

Karl Consiglio

Apr 17th 2012, 13:47

As long as no one was hurt.

Juliet Cassar

Apr 17th 2012, 13:42

Unless railings are put up to stop people from sitting on top of the 'window', people will still do it then yes, the government will be to blame for avoiding an accident.

Joe Xuereb

Apr 17th 2012, 13:24

The Azure Window is the result of natural erosion (I wont go into the geo-physics of the matter as I know nothing of those, other than wind, and water and sheer passage of time). It is a pity a piece has fallen of. The window was created BECAUSE pieces fell off whenever it was that they did.
We cannot stop the falling off just because we like the window and it is a crowd puller. Nature does not behave like that.

Nature is evolutionary and this is proof of this. That is Nature Nature. Human Nature acts differently. In its insecurity, it lays down what suits it (to make it all smug and comfy), set it out in books and refuses any revised editions. Reprints yes, but not updated revisions. And this is why Nature and humans are in conflict. And Nature always is the winner whether we like it or not. Because it is evolutionary. Because it is flexible. Unlike human nature which, like a reed in its rigidity, snaps at the slightest whiff of wind.

I imagine there will always be a window. Or, barring some major cataclysmic catastrophe, there will be one for a few hundred more years at least. So why worry?! And one can always pray for the window not to evolve.

Francis Farrugia

Apr 17th 2012, 13:09

Wasal iz-zmien immedjat li l-arkata tat-"TIEQA" li diga hija maqsuma minn zewg nahat, isirilha xi support biex ma taqax ghall isfel ukoll. Haga ohra li trid issir hija li jsiru xi barrikati biex in-nies ma jibqux jitilghu fuq l-arkata. L-avviz li hemm imwahhal mhux biz-zejjed.

Michael Borg

Apr 17th 2012, 13:02

is soltu gvern tal parloli he should have done maintenace so as for this not to happen !!! maybe he was gonna do it now cause of election uxxx !!

Matthew Farrugia

Apr 17th 2012, 12:58

The Azure Window from beneath the waves:

http://matfar.co.uk/?portfoliocpt=the-azure-window

j falzon

Apr 17th 2012, 12:56

To be honest, I've never understood the big deal with this thing.

Charles Sammut. (NY)

Apr 17th 2012, 12:37

It's the Wrath of the Titans.....

K. Vella

Apr 17th 2012, 12:11

Who is the blame? hahahahaha

We already have some experts here to blame the goverment.... Only in Malta

Konrad Scicluna

Apr 17th 2012, 11:40

Nature does indeed take its course but it seems that nature itself gave sufficient warming signs of possible, which unfortunately as happens often nobody heeded. I am sure these days a way could have been found to prevent or retard such damage.

Because no serious infrasturucture in Gozo has taken place for such a long time, the Azure Window is one of the very few things that immediately identifies Gozo. It is for us, and indeed for most tourists what the Eiffel Tower is to Paris, what the Statue of Liberty is to New York, what the Opera House is to Sydney and what the Colesseum is to Rome - a brand instantly identifying Gozo.

Rather than trying to impress us by digging up half of Victoria on the eve of general election, what Gozo really needs is upgrading of its existing (or now non existing) infrastructure (yes the roads are just a small part of what should have been done, the building of new and the upgrading of existing beaches being another), politicians should learn to look outside the box and create innovate ideas like a direct link between the two islands, a water park, caravan park, fun park, cruise liner terminal and a small airport . They should also seriously look for ways to bring employment back to our island. (Couldn't ARMS, for example, or MITTS, or a couple of EU funded departments have been set up in Gozo? Was it such a big deal to convince say Maltco after being given such a lucrative contract to have its accounts done in Gozo, or the owners of Smart City to set of its Marketiung Department here? Just to name a few)

The size of the island, the hospitality of the people and the general environment of Gozo can make it an ideal destination for family travel something which should be exploited to its max.

Let us hope that the erosion of Dwejra will serve as a much needed eye opener.

Maria Debono

Apr 17th 2012, 11:40

is this Gonzi's ault as well? wow he is really poweful if that's the case. we always knew it, now we're sure

Lee Micallef

Apr 17th 2012, 11:39

some of the comments regarding this story are truly ridiculous as others have already stated "don't let people walk on it to ease the weight "? that's like saying don't let ants crawl up and over St Helens basillica in case it causes it to crumble and "heritage" ? and as ever politics has to come into everything smh !

G Mangion

Apr 17th 2012, 11:31

Il Bidla Bdied ! Tfarrik biss !!!

G.Mangion.

Mario Tabone

Apr 17th 2012, 11:20

Waiting for some bright spark to blame the government !!!!!

Joe Fenech

Apr 17th 2012, 11:19

Eco Gozo...

John Azzopoardi

Apr 17th 2012, 11:18

Wow ---the window looked so neat the way it was. Sad indeed, but you know what, you cannot dictate what nature does. at least no one got hurt.

Mr John Borg

Apr 17th 2012, 11:16

Ara Vera pajjizna ghed jaqa bicciet

L Scicluna

Apr 17th 2012, 11:15

Some important information about the arch erosion window (Azure window in our case) is part of a natural important process. The sea erosion is very important in malta as when sea takes parts of the rock from our cliffs and also from the azure window, these will be processed and taken by sea currents to a low lying beach and forms a sandy beach (this takes millions of years) but our beautiful natural beaches like golden sands and ghajn tuffieha where formed by this process.

Also when unfortunately when time come that the azure windows falls the middle part of it, a STACK will be formed. There is a lot in UK and France and they are very beautiful too.

The best thing to do is to inform our self more on this beautiful natural place and inform more the public and make them more aware of what a wonderful example of nature we have in Malta!

Also we should take our children to enjoy this place as it does not have a lot of lifetime.

more info:
http://www.geography-site.co.uk/pages/revision/coast.html
http://www.geography-site.co.uk/pages/physical/coastal/stacks.html

B Testa

Apr 17th 2012, 10:56

The part that has fallen had already fallen a week ago as I have proof in photos (taken on 10-04-2012) that it is the same as it was the same as it is now.

Pity that such a beautiful place is plagued by trucks carrying stones from nearby quarries.

Tania Attard

Apr 17th 2012, 10:53

I cannot believe the nonsense I'm reading in most of these comments.............re-build, re-enforce etc. etc.
Why don't we suggest building a monument 'f'gieh il-gebla' instead? .......or better still why don't we build some high-rise Apartments instead? Ara veru tghidlu c-cucati. LEAVE WELL ALONE! This is nature and the process is what nature intended.

V. Cauchi

Apr 17th 2012, 10:44

One can count at least three gashes in the upper part of the thin structure and I surmise the greatest menace is not the weather and stormy seas, but lots of low magnitude earthquakes taking place in an arc from the W to the NE of Gozo. Besides other recorded nearby earthquakes, a 3.3mag 22 km deep tremor was yesterday felt some 20 km off Graham Island, and a 5.5 mag, 'quake off Greece in the Ionian just opposite Malta which marked a remarkable shockwave on our University seismograph.

Just by way of simple example, which does not include many other low grade (<2) earthquakes around Malta, these are the earthquakes reported recently:

http://193.188.45.245/earthquakes-list.php?from=0&amp;range=20

Of interest during this 4-month period is the close proximity of the full moon and the lunar perigee (closest position of the moon to earth in its 29-day cycle). This positioning, aligned to the force of the background sun, is believed to be the cause of a wave of major earthquakes as have occurred since last week.

http://www.fourmilab.ch/earthview/pacalc.html

Mano' Xerri

Apr 17th 2012, 10:44

A great Pity, but we know from history that North Africa-Malta/Gozo-Sicily were once joined together, until a big earth quake and three quarters of the three are under water., so sooner or later with all the latest quakes we are having, something is going to take place very gradually bits of rocks breaking up.

Frans van Avendonk

Apr 17th 2012, 10:43

The rockfall occurred more than a few days ago, just after the Easter storm it was already noticed.

William Attard McCarthy

Apr 17th 2012, 10:42

Architects?? ...for the sake of light of day, it's a natural rock formation we're speaking about here...something that is still being formed by natural forces...and not some man-made structure! The Azure Window will definitely collapse, and will be then known as the Azure Pinnacle.

Daniel Schembri

Apr 17th 2012, 10:40

Why such a fuss, it's just natural that this happens from time to time. how do you think it formed in the first place? :-)
I disagree with not letting people on it or to act on it.

William Attard McCarthy

Apr 17th 2012, 10:36

What some of us may not know is that the whole area (view from above in Google Earth), was formed millions of years ago when two giant caves eventually caved in and formed two giant sinkholes. The Azure Window is at the exact spot between the two sinkholes.

If one takes a closer look at Fungus Rock and the cliff next to it, and takes a deeper look at the rock strata, one can't fail to notice that at one point in time Fungus Rock was not only connected to the cliff behind it, but also to the coastline in front of the fort.

Natural bridges can form from natural limestone caves, where paired sinkholes collapse and a ridge of stone is left standing in between, with the cave passageway connecting from sinkhole to sinkhole.

Like all rock formations, natural bridges are subject to continued erosion, and will eventually collapse and disappear. One example of this was the double-arched Victorian coastal rock formation, London Bridge, which lost an arch after storms increased erosion.[

Thomas C. Cassar

Apr 17th 2012, 10:24

What about Ghar Hasan?

victor bonello

Apr 17th 2012, 10:23

one of the first things to do, i think, is not to allow people to walk on it. This would ease the weight it has to carry and so diminish the weight on the holding column.
a good architect could give better advice.

Daniel Muscat

Apr 17th 2012, 10:13

Everyone knows this is a sad thing to happen, but this is something that we cannot restore, because it is a natural process, and it was not something made by men. By the same reasoning we should restore Dingli cliffs, and every stone being weathered because they all went through the same process when forming, even the lands we destroyed to use them for building stone. Those blaming the government have nothing better to do!

Joseph Caruana

Apr 17th 2012, 10:04

Do a negative form of the whole, demolish it, place the negative form, place steel bars, and pour in some concrete. Relax, man.

Ramon Casha

Apr 17th 2012, 09:51

We should start by having some experts examine it and draw up a report on what could be done, and at what cost. This could include reinforcing the existing slab in some way. If the top slab collapses it will lose much of its visual appeal, which translates to tourism and so on. Let's not wait until it gives way completely.

Joseph N. Attard

Apr 17th 2012, 09:47

Isn't it amazing? Nature has been sculpting our earth for millions of years, and it will continue to do so till the end of time. Yet some idiots, for want of a better word, feel the compulsion to bring politics into the picture!

Julian Esposito

Apr 17th 2012, 09:35

http://www.timesofmalta.com/articles/view/20031101/letters/another-azure-window.137626

George Borg

Apr 17th 2012, 09:34

A 360 shot of how it was can be seen in the following link. Click on the Fullscreen icon in top right corner.

http://www.maltain360.com/default.aspx#110000673

Ray Buhagiar

Apr 17th 2012, 09:29

What are those people doing on top of the azure window? I thought that it was a prohibited area.

Let nature do its course. Enjoy it while it lasts.

Joe

Alfred Grech

Apr 17th 2012, 09:19

Ghar Lapsi is falling apart, tha azurre window is falling apart - not easy to protect them - very sad.

Joseph Aquilina

Apr 17th 2012, 09:14

millions for gonzi dream to open parliament we have, to save our heritage nothing!

J. Borg

Apr 17th 2012, 09:05

I think this is nicer than Piano's Valletta Project so it would be good if it had to be possible to use some of Piano's funds to save this natural beauty :)

There must be some technical solution to this natural problem. Perhaps Government should initiate a competition to allow civil engineers/engineers come up with a feasible technical solution.

W Cassar

Apr 17th 2012, 08:57

Its a pity that the Azure Window will not last forever, it is a tourist and film maker attraction.... but thats nature!

Mr Mark-Anthony Falzon

Apr 17th 2012, 08:57

There are two ways around this serious problem. The first is to address the cause rather than the symptom. One might consider pouring concrete into the sea around the window to make the sea shallower and therefore less wave-prone. The second is to use some kind of expanded polystyrene (jablo) to fill in the missing bits. Jablo takes very nicely to being sculpted and painted in the manner of natural rock. There are many talented 'dilettanti tal-presepju' in Malta and Gozo who could help with this.

The top should also be planted with turf to protect it from the elements.

Denis Pace

Apr 17th 2012, 08:44

Mark

That is the nature of the structure. Weathering caused it and weathering will erode it.

Jo Meli

Apr 17th 2012, 08:44

The signs were on the wall for these past years and the Authorities who could have saved it from falling did NOT do anything about it !

The LEAST thing that should have been done was to tie around the damaged part rings of steel so that I-BEAMS be drilled into the structure and at least would have been saved.

One would say that oxidation of the steel would have create worst effect - NO if specialsed steel alloys be employed in these I-Beams.

At Marsalforn there existed a similar "window" but fell due to natural forces.

Mark Said

Apr 17th 2012, 08:35

Cannot anything urgently be done to prevent further damage? Also, is there any possibility to rectify this collapse and restore it to its original natural condition? This is a landmark and heritage world-wide known scene, and it is everyone's duty to rigourously defend its preservation.