Marsa, a large-ish town in the south eastern side of Malta, is unlikely to make it to a visitor’s list of top places to visit on the island. It’s often by-passed en route to the south, but it boasts a few attractions of its own that are worth pulling over for, among them the Turkish Military Cemetery which is an architectural site to behold.
Commissioned by the Turkish sultan Abdul Aziz upon his arrival in Malta in 1867, the cemetery was designed by distinguished Maltese architect Emanuele Luigi Galizia, who worked on a number of prestigious projects, including the Addolorata cemetery and chapel, Victoria Gate in Valletta and the Our Lady of Lourdes church in Gozo.
The ornate cemetery, which was completed in 1874, was designed in an exotic Moorish style and is replete with stunning details that can easily go unnoticed. Take a minute to observe the horseshoe-shaped arches, the intricate stone work, and the fluted domes – a fine reflection of this style of architecture.
The entrance alone boasts plenty of geometric details, as well as a large gateway that forms part of the main entrance structure, topped with four minarets that have their own limestone copulas. Inside the cemetery, it’s hard to miss the imposing fountain in an open courtyard.
In recent years, the Turkish Cemetery began to show signs of wear, corrosion and neglect, which thankfully didn’t go unnoticed. Restoration works on the site have been ongoing for some time now, but are well underway and in the hands of expert restorers, J. Bugeja Restoration, who are working to give the cemetery a new lease on life.
For another fine example of Moorish architecture by Galizia, head to Rudolph Street in Sliema and look out for the imposing Villa Alhambra, which was the architect’s own summer residence. The villa is sadly no longer in use, but you can still marvel at its intricate façade, which, upon close inspection, boasts some striking similarities to the Turkish Cemetery.