Ras il-Wardija

Ras il-Wardija was probably first inhabited in the Bronze Age, in around 1500 BC. Around the 3rd century BC, during the Punic period, a religious complex (probably a nymphaeum) was established in the area. Since the site is clearly visible from the sea, it might have also served as a beacon for ships travelling between the Maltese Islands and North Africa.

The site remained in use throughout the Roman period. Carved crosses on the walls suggest that the site eventually became a Christian place of worship. The site remained in use until around the 4th century AD. A hermitage might have existed in the area during the medieval period.

The main structural elements of the site are:

a rock-hewn rectangular chamber, with a number of niches in the walls
a T-shaped rock-hewn corridor leading to the chamber
a water reservoir and a bell-shaped well, both rock-hewn
the remains of an external masonry structure including an altar
The masonry structure has some similarities to the remains of the Punic-Roman sanctuary at Tas-Silġ in Marsaxlokk