Mellieħa (also called Il-Mellieħa) is a large village (pop. 7,549 (Nov 2005)) in the northwestern part of Malta. It is a popular tourist destination during the summer months. Mellieħa as a village developed under the British colonization. The British started proposing people to settle in this area by giving leases to the population. It was only during this time that it started to be inhabited again as for two centuries it was abandoned due to fear from attacks of corsairs and Saracens, and beforehand there were only some villagers used to live in the area. After the British encouraged Maltese to settle in Mellieħa, the village kept on flourishing. Nowadays, the village also includes a large number of villas. Even foreigners choose to settle in Mellieħa.
Architecture
Ruins and tombs show Mellieħa to have been inhabited from Neolithic times to the Byzantine era, but the area was deserted after the Arab conquest (870), likely due to frequent raids by Muslim corsairs. In 1530 the island was handed over to the Knights of Malta, and Mellieħa was one of the many settlements they established, complete with fortifications and a church: The Sanctuary of Our Lady of Mellieħa, which became one of the island's most venerated places.
Popeye Village
:Main article: Popeye Village
Mellieħa is now a tourist resort, featuring Malta's largest sandy beach, Għadira. Another popular attraction is the set of the 1980 film Popeye. A short drive away from Għadira, the set is a collection of various ramshackle buildings that made up the city of Sweethaven. The 'town' was originally built using several thousand planks, eight tons of nails, and 2,000 gallons of paint. To this day the set draws a considerable amount of tourism, with daily Popeye-related shows taking place for the tourists.
Feast of Our Lady of Victories
Each village in Malta has its own festival. The festival in Mellieħa, the feast of Our Lady of Victories, begins on August 30 and culminates on September 8, commemorating the repelling of the Great Siege in 1565.
Mellieħa Main Roads
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