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Brief Information about the Village of Nadur.
Nadur, so-called
as the village of the rising Sun, rises above a fertile
valley, on the easternmost flat-topped hill of the charming
island of Gozo, enjoying breathtaking views of Gozo,
Comino and the surrounding sea. The name of this village
is derived from the Maltese verb ‘nadar’,
which means to “observe at length”, and
so, to “keep guard”.
Along the coastline of Nadur, one can
spot out spectacular scenes of the bays of Ramla l-Hamra,
San Blas, and Dahlet Qorrot. Ramla Bay is one of the
best swimming sites to be found on the island, which
is also very famous for its particular reddish sand.
On the other hand, Dahlet Qorrot is a charming fishing
cove. These three bays can all be reached from Nadur.
Ta’ Sopu Tower overlooks the peaceful and delightful
small bay of Dahlet Qorrot. It was purposely built to
safeguard this bay. Ta’ Sopu Tower is positioned
half way through the bays of Dahlet Qorrot and San Blas.
Another tower which is to be found atop the craggy hills
of Nadur, is Ta’ Kenuna Tower. It was built in
1848 by the British to serve as a telegraph link between
Gozo and Malta. Nowadays, this tower has been restored
and is used for communication purposes, such as artistic
exhibitions.
Nadur is very famous for its traditional
carnival, celebrated on the five days preceding Ash
Wednesday. It varies from a spontaneous carnival, occurring
during these nights, to a day programme (Sunday), including
with various competitions and the traditional Kukkanja
(pole climbing).
On the way to Qala, from Nadur, there
is an area known as il-Buskett. On the eve of the 29th
June, the day before the traditional feast of Nadur
(Imnarja), people used to go to this area to spend the
night barbequing and celebrating this venue.
Nadur’s monumental parish church
is dedicated to the apostles Saint Peter and Saint Paul.
It was designed in 1766, with baroque and 19th century
styles. It is its façade and dome that makes
the church look so grand and monumental. It is utterly
covered in marble, and has also a pulpit sculpted with
this material. This parish church also owns the Gozo
Maritime Museum, which is just off the village square.
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