Marsa, Malta

Marsa

Marsa is a town in the Southern Region of Malta. It is called "Il-Marsa" by people who live there. The name Marsa means "the harbour." In March 2014, 4,401 people lived in Marsa.

History

Marsa is along Marsa Creek, which connects to the Grand Harbour. The Phoenicians were the first to build a port there. Later, the Romans also left their mark, and you can still find remains of their buildings nearby.

During the Great Siege of Malta in 1565, soldiers from the Ottoman Empire used Marsa as a camp. After they were defeated, Marsa became a place with vineyards. In the 1600s, a museum called Museo di San Giacomo was built there, making it Malta's first museum.

In the 1800s, the British helped drain the marshes to improve health. A new port was built in the 1860s, and there were plans for a town called Albert Town. Though this town was not built, a new town called Marsa grew in the 1900s. In 2022, Marsa was named Malta's first "city of culture" with special events to bring more life to the area.

Facilities

Marsa is home to the Malta Shipyards. In 2014, the shipyards hosted the Junior Eurovision Song Contest and the Malta Eurovision Song Contest 2015.

The Marsa Power Station, which provided most of the electricity to the Maltese Islands since 1953, was torn down in 2014. A new distribution centre will be built in its place.

Marsa Race Track, a one-kilometre long horse racing track built in 1868, is still used today. The main office of Malta's postal service, MaltaPost, is located on Qormi Road in Marsa, and has been there since 1997.

Zones in Marsa

One of the areas in Marsa is called Albert Town.

Demographics and administration

The town of Marsa had a population of 5,887 people in July 2024. There were 3,416 males and 2,471 females. Of these, 3,969 were Maltese nationals and 1,918 were foreign nationals.

Twin towns

See also: List of twin towns and sister cities in Malta

Marsa is twinned with:

• Bridgwater, United Kingdom
• Auterive, France