Sliema
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Sliema
Tas-Sliema | |
---|---|
UTC+2 (CEST) | |
Postal code | SLM |
Dialing code | 356 |
ISO 3166 code | MT-56 |
Patron saint | Our Lady, Star of the Sea |
Day of festa | First Sunday after 18 August |
Website | sliemalocalcouncil |
Sliema (Maltese: Tas-Sliema Maltese pronunciation: [tɐsˈslɪː.mɐ]) is a town located on the northeast coast of Malta in the Northern Harbour District. It is a major residential and commercial area and a centre for shopping, bars, dining, and café life. It is also the most densely populated town on the island.
Lining the coastline is a promenade known as the Sliema Front that has become the ideal spot for joggers and walkers as well as a prolific meeting place for locals during the summer season. Sliema is also known for its numerous rocky beaches, water sports and hotels. The Strand in Sliema is a popular viewing spot for fireworks displays that take place in August.
Sliema, which means 'peace, comfort', was once a quiet fishing village on the peninsula across
Sliema is considered a desirable place to live and is relatively affluent, with extremely high property prices compared to the national average. Historically, stylish villas and traditional Maltese townhouses lined the streets of Sliema. Sliema has now been ringed with modern apartment blocks, some of which are amongst the tallest buildings in Malta. This has resulted in significant traffic, parking and construction-related noise pollution issues.
Residents of Sliema are stereotypically known for their usage of English as a first language, although this is changing in the 21st century due to demographic shifts. Maltese people from Sliema are referred to as Slimiżi.
Etymology
Sliema is the Maltese word meaning peace[1] and was used to salute someone.[2] The triconsonantal root of the word is Š-L-M.
Sliema may have got its name from the Our Lady of Good Voyage Chapel, that now no longer exists. It periodically served as a reference point for the sailors and fishermen in
There is also a possibility that the origin is from an Arabic first name or a Hebrew family name. [citation needed]
History
The Knights of Malta period
At the
The British period
In 1855 a new church dedicated to Our Lady Star of the Sea ("Stella Maris") was opened to public worship. Around the new church, the small village grew into a town. By 1878, the population grew to such an extent that the religious authorities had the Stella Maris Church declared a parish in its own right and it was separated from St.Helen's parish of Birkirkara.
The town began to develop rapidly in the second half of the 19th century, becoming popular as a summer resort for wealthier
A few Victorian, as well as
The British built a number of fortifications on the Sliema peninsula in the 19th century. These were Sliema Point Battery (1872–1876), Cambridge Battery (1878–1886) and Garden Battery (1889–1894). In addition, the 18th century Fort Tigné remained in use as well, and barracks were built on the Tigné peninsula.
In 1881 the first sea water distillery on the island was erected in Sliema in order to provide water to the Tigné barracks. In 1882 the distillery was decommissioned and the building, which still stands today, has been occupied by a printing press since that time. The barracks it supplied water to were demolished in 2001 in order to make way for the development of Tigné Point development.
The town has a considerable number of streets connected with the British era in Malta, such as Norfolk Street, Amery Street, Windsor Terrace, Graham Street, Milner Street and Fort Cambridge.
In 1941, during the
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Construction of the Sliema promenade, ca. 1890
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Cinema Gaiety and Barclay's Bank, 1958
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Barclay's Bank, 1958
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Sliema by night, 1958
Post-independence
Sliema has been the site of intensive development in recent decades. The Victorian houses that lined Tower Road have all been replaced by apartment buildings built in modern architectural style. Several of these have views of the Mediterranean Sea or Valletta but their development has been controversial. The promenade has been upgraded in the late 1990s and is a common spot for leisurely walking, particularly on warm summer nights when it remains crowded into the early hours of the morning. Shopping is primarily centred in an area called the Ferries (the Strand or ix-Xatt, Tower Road and Bisazza Street) and the more recently opened Tigne Point shopping mall. Restaurants and cafés can be found along the promenade.
Development, high population density, parking problems and high property prices have led many younger people originally from the area are choosing to live elsewhere on the island and consequently Sliema is suffering from an aging population. There are several foreign expatriates who reside in Sliema. There remains net inward migration to Sliema. The prevalence of use amongst Sliema residents of English as a first language is decreasing although remains significantly higher than other localities on the island. Code-switching in English sentences with peppered Maltese words and phrases is relatively common in Sliema, as well as
Population and notable residents
The population of Sliema is over 20,000 and has a significant turnover of foreign expatriates who reside temporarily. The town was the residence of the late
Due to the iGaming[clarification needed] industry's introduction in Malta, Sliema has also seen a huge influx of foreigners, primarily from Scandinavia.[citation needed]
It was the birthplace of several famous people: former prime minister
Irish billionaire Denis O'Brien has a "residential address" as Flat 6/60, Suite F, Tigne Street in Sliema, according to O'Brien's own filing with the Companies Registration Office (CRO).[6] The Maltese-born, American-naturalized actor Joseph Calleia lived in Sliema from his retirement in 1963 to his death in 1975.[7]
- John A. Gauci-Maistre, Maltese businessperson[8]
- Evelyn Bonaci, Maltese politician[9]
Education
A list of schools in Sliema:
- St. Joseph School Sliema
- St. Francis’ Girls’ Secondary School
- St. Dorothy’s
- St Patrick’s
- Ursuline Creche
- St Benild’s
- Government Primary School
English Language Schools
- Language Studies International (LSI)
- Geos English Language School
- inlingua School of Languages
- Linguatime School of English – Tower Road
- IELS – Mattew Pulis Street
- AM Language School
- ECS English Communication School
- English Language Academy
- Maltalingua
- LAL - Language Centres Malta
Landmarks
- Stella Maris Church (Our Lady Star of the Sea) – Mother Parish of Sliema, est 1878
- Sacro Cuor Parish Church (Our Lady of the Sacred Heart)
- Gesu' Nazzarenu Parish Church
- San Girgor Parish Church
- The Chapel of Our Lady of Graces
- Fort Tigné
- Tigné Point
- Sliema Point Battery (Il-Fortizza)
- St. Julian's Tower[10]
- Palazzo Capua
- Exiles Beach
- Independence Gardens (Ġnien l-Independenza)
- The Three Trees (It-tlett Siġriet)
- Chalet (now demolished)
Churches
Sliema has a number of Roman Catholic churches such as the one dedicated to
In addition to the above list of churches, is the
Feasts
Like all Maltese towns and villages, the annual Sliema parish feasts are popular especially those held in honour of the Our Lady Stella Maris (August) and Our Lady of the Sacred Heart (Madonna tas-Sacro Cuor) in July. Other feasts celebrated in the locality are those in honour of Our Lady of Mount Carmel (July) and St. Gregory (September).
Band clubs
Sliema also has four band clubs which take part in the parish feasts held in the summer months and are active all year round. These societies are Stella Maris Band Club (founded in 1914), The "Societa' Filarmonica SLIEMA" Band Club (founded in 1923). Mount Carmel Band Club (1987) and St. Gregory Band Club (1987).
Sports
Tas-Sliema's football club,
Furthermore, Sliema is also represented in Rugby by Stompers RFC. Sliema Fight Co., based within the Preluna Hotel complex also has its own Boxing and Mixed Martial Arts team.
Scouting
The 1st Sliema Scout Group (Bernard's Own) is the oldest surviving Scout Group outside the United Kingdom and was founded in 1909 by Sir Edgar Bernard. It is still a major influence on
Over the years, the Sliema Group has collected a wealth of scouting tradition and has proudly passed this knowledge on from generation to generation.
Zones in Tas-Sliema
- The Ferries
- Font Għadir
- Fortina
- Għar id-Dud
- Qui-Si-Sana
- Savoy
- Surfside
- The Strand
- Tlett Siġriet
- Lazy Corner
- Tigné Point
- Exiles
Transport
Sliema is served by
Sliema's main roads include:
- Ix-Xatt (The Strand)
- Triq Bisazza (Bisazza Street – a pedestrian commercial street)
- Triq il-Kbira (Main Street)
- Triq it-Torri (Tower Road)
- Triq Manwel Dimech (Manoel Dimech Street)
- Triq Rudolfu (Rodolph Street)
- Triq Sir Adrian Dingli (Sir Adrian Dingli Street)
- Xatt ta' Tigné (Tigné Waterfront)
- Xatt ta' Qui-Si-Sana (Qui-Si-Sana Waterfront)
- Pjazza Annunzjata
- Pjazza Sant'Anna
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Our Lady Star of the Sea
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Waterfront of Sliema.
Twin towns – sister cities
Sliema is
References
- ^ "Churches used by British Forces". website.lineone.net. Retrieved 9 April 2018.
- ^ "thinksite.eu" (PDF). thinksite.eu. Retrieved 9 April 2018.
- ^ "Sliema council to uncover Prince of Wales street name – The Malta Independent". independent.com.mt. Retrieved 9 April 2018.
- ^ Magri, Giulia (14 March 2021). "The air raid that devastated Sliema". Times of Malta. Retrieved 9 May 2021.
- ^ "Interview with Peter Hitchens - the Malta Independent".
- ^ Keena, Colm (15 September 2006). "O'Brien makes pre-flotation move to Malta". The Irish Times. Archived from the original on 5 March 2015.
- ^ "Joseph Calleia – Malta's Hollywood actor". Malta Independent. 21 May 2013. Retrieved 14 April 2017.
- ^ "The Maistre of ship registration was born in Malta, still Europe's largest Flag - Ship2Shore". www.ship2shore.it. Retrieved 14 December 2018.
- ISBN 978-99932-57-75-2.
- ISSN 1773-0201.
- ^ "Trophy Room". Retrieved 9 May 2021.
- ^ Malta Public Transport, Airport Services, accessed 10 February 2023
- Rome2Rio Pty Ltd., 3 ways to travel from Sliema to Valletta, accessed 8 August 2023
- ^ "Twinning". localgovernment.gov.mt. Government of Malta. Retrieved 18 September 2019.