About
Mġarr
Mġarr is another Arabic place-name, plural of miġra, water courses. It must have got its name from the fact that there are three springs in the area: Għajn ir-Rajjes, possibly so called after Dragut Reis; Għajn il-Liebru, the hare’s spring; and Għajn il-Għonq, the spring at the narrow (cleft). The bountiful water flowing at Mġarr was known to friend and foe. This main harbour of Gozo took over from the port of Marsalforn early in the seventeenth century, when two towers – one overlooking the port and another on the island of Comino – were built to keep the Gozo–Malta channel free from marauding corsairs. The port is always crowded with the Gozo ferries, visiting yachts, and the fishing fleet of luzzu peacefully at anchor, their garish colours reflected in water of purest, clearest blue. The church overlooking the harbour is dedicated to the Blessed Virgin Mary of Lourdes.
Mġarr huwa post ieħor b’isem Għarbi u anki Malti. Il-kelma hi l-plural ta’ miġra, nixxiegħa ta’ ilma. Bla dubju ngħata dan l-isem għaliex fl-inħawi hemm tliet miġriet jew nixxiegħat: Għajn ir-Rajjes, possibbilment imsejħa hekk wara Dragut Reis, li kien jidħol hemm għall-ilma; Għajn il-Liebru, in-nixxiegħa (tal-fenek) tal-liebru; u Għajn il-Għonq, in-nixxiegħa fix-xquq (tal-blat). L-ilma ġieri ta’ dawn l-għejjun kien magħruf anki mill-pirati dejjem iħufu fil-Mediterran. Minn dan il-port, Għawdex hu magħqud ma’ Malta u d-dinja.
Sar il-port ewlieni ta’ Għawdex minflok Marsalforn kmieni fis-seklu sbatax, meta wara l-1607 nbnew żewġ torrijiet, wieħed fuq ir-riħ tal-port u ieħor fuq il-gżira ta’ Kemmuna. Dawn it-torrijiet setgħu jżommu l-fliegu bejn Għawdex u Malta ħieles mill-kursari. Il-port daż-żmien hu dejjem mimli bil-vapuri ta’ Għawdex, bil-flotta tal-luzzijiet tas-sajd, u bil-jottijiet li jsorġu Għawdex. Ilkoll riflessi riflessi fil-baħar blu ċar tal-Meditteran. Il-knisja fuq ir-riħ tal-port hija ddedikata lill-Madonna ta’ Lourdes.
