At the heart of the southern village of Hal-Ghaxaq - home to less than 5,000 people - and merely a stone's throw away from St Mary’s Parish Church, lies a building which is unique and fascinating, not only to the humble village, but to the Maltese Islands: a house whose upper facade is decorated in hundreds of different snails and sea shells. 

The building is known as the Snail House or Dar il-Bebbux, and story has it that over a century ago, at the start of the 20th century, Ghaxaq resident Indri Dimech began decorating this facade back when the building was being used as a local bar. In an interview with The People of Malta back in 2015, Josephine, Indri's great granddaughter, said that her great grandfather would collect the sea shells from his trips to Palestine specifically for this purpose.

Snails, shells and stones of all sizes form elaborate decoration and adorn religious imagery, surrounding a number of statues which are placed in niches within the facade. Sadly, over time, the elements have resulted in the slow, chipping away of the elaborate design, and because the mode of decoration is so unique and unusual, the new owners of the property - who are currently restoring the building together with the Local Council - are finding it extremely difficult to find someone in Malta who can restore it to its former glory. 

Because of its elaborate style and decoration, the house has been included in the National Inventory of the Cultural Property of the Maltese Islands - and we're not surprised! The house even has its neighbouring road named after it: Triq Dar il-Bebbux.

It is difficult to pinpoint exactly where Indri Dimech found the inspiration to decorate his home in such a unique way, although we do know that a number of similar facades can be found in Spain, Denmark and even the United Kingdom.

Have you seen Dar il-Bebbux in person? It's certainly worth heading over to Ghaxaq for!