Għar Qawqla
Limestone formation off Marsalforn on the island of Gozo in Malta
Top to bottom: Before and after the collapse
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Geography | |
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Archipelago | Maltese Archipelago |
Area | 190.34 m 2 (2,048.8 sq ft) |
Length | 17.65 m (57.91 ft) |
Width | 1.72–13.44 m (5 ft 8 in – 44 ft 1 in) |
Highest elevation | 4 m (13 ft) |
Għar Qawqla is a limestone formation located off Marsalforn on the island of Gozo in Malta. It was formerly a natural arch connected to the mainland, [1] but the span collapsed at some point during the 20th century. It has been speculated that the name Marsalforn might be partially derived from forna , referring to the natural sea caves of the area, of which Għar Qawqla was one of the best-known. [2] The formations stands about 7.9 metres (26 ft) off the shore. [3] [4]
Today, all that remains of the arch is a 3-metre-tall (9.8 ft) pillar, from which both locals and tourists often jump into the sea. [2] A shallow natural pool is located nearby. [5] The area is also a diving site. It is mostly used for training purposes since it has been described as "not inspiring". [2] [3]
See also
References
- ↑ Dandria, David (23 April 2017). "Fallen arches" . Times of Malta . Archived from the original on 26 August 2018.
- 1 2 3 Salter, Richard (2017). Diving Gozo and Comino: The essential guide to an underwater playground . Dived Up Publications. p. 57. ISBN 9781909455160 .
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"Għar Qawqla"
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visitgozo
. 24 February 2020
. Retrieved
24 February
2020
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{{ cite web }}
: CS1 maint: url-status ( link ) - ↑ Z. Ciantar, Joe (2000). The Placenames of the Coast of Gozo (MALTA) . Ħal Tarxien, Malta: Gutenberg Press. p. 59. ISBN 99932-0-025-5 .
- ↑ Borg, Victor Paul (2002). The Rough Guide to Malta and Gozo . Rough Guides. p. 217 . ISBN 9781858286808 .
36°04′27″N 14°15′45″E / 36.07417°N 14.26250°E / 36.07417; 14.26250