The last time we met with Lisa Gwen was for our feature on MaltaDoors, an online archive of photos the photographer and aesthete has taken over two years around Malta and Gozo. In our interview, we learned that the photographer enjoys picking different villages to visit and spending the afternoon wandering about, capturing photographs of doors and facades that strike her attention and take her back in time.
We tend to spend our hours typing away behind laptop screens like normal people so, fascinated by this strange activity, we picked a sunny Saturday and resolved to accompany Lisa Gwen on a ‘photowalk’ in Raħal Ġdid.
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We were also joined by local artist and designer Ramon Fiott, so we had not one but two people taking photos in the middle of the streets, squeezing between cars for the right angle, and randomly disappearing around corners cause something caught their eye.
Any local can tell you that Raħal Ġdid translates to New Town, but for a majority of tourists who visit our island, this is where you go to witness some of humankind’s earliest and oldest structures, from the famed underground Hypogeum in Ħal Saflieni to the Tarxien temples that dwell in Paola’s sister town, Ħal-Tarxien. But, prehistoric rocks and primitive sites aren’t Raħal Ġdid’s only weapons of mass attraction.
Take a 20 minute stroll up any road and you’ll find that Raħal Ġdid (or Paola), is rich with diverse and distinctive architecture. Gorgeous British colonial homes dominate most of this town’s streetscapes; but, at the same time, you’ll find no shortage of baroque intricacies, masonry inspired by the natural forms and structures that define the art nouveau movement and instances of colourful art deco gems.
If you want to give a lecture (or a tour) about architecture in Malta, Raħal Ġdid is one of the best classrooms you can use.
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Just shy of 400 years old, this town was built by Grand Master Antoine de Paule. Because it was built on a swampland, interest to move here was initially quite low. To solve this, Antoine de Paule, as Grand Master, gave indemnity from debts to families who would move there. This, coupled with Paola’s proximity to the harbours, proved quite a charming incentive. Quite early on in its history, a local disease would lead many to desert this town, but after some intervention, Raħal Ġdid gradually became habitable again. Today, it is a thriving commercial centre that promises to keep grabbing your attention.
(We were also accompanied by Roma, Ramon’s dog. ^)
Paola’s church is the biggest of the Maltese islands. Considering we have at least one church for every day of the year, this is a noteworthy feat. If you’re new to the island or haven’t ventured to this town yet, this we promise is a stunner that’ll make your eyes look up and your jaw drop down. It tells you that when it comes to religion, food, and family, Maltese people never choose subtlety.
In Raħal Ġdid’s pjazza you will feel like you’re at an intersection. You’re guaranteed to get a healthy mix of shops local and international, old and new. Moreover, while its various attractions draw a continuous stream of tourists and expats, its provision of many key services and institutions make it one of Malta’s most frequented places by locals from different areas living in the south and central regions.
Libyan architect Mohammed Abid Elshukri designed this mosque and, as per his design, plastered limestone painted in green, yellow and pink colours was used for the contruction. Muhammad Gadaffi
Beyond the intricate masonry, and the Mausoleums and statues in marble and bronze, the most iconic building of this state owned cemetery is the neo-gothic Chapel that sits atop its hill. The chapel’s spire, surrounded by trees, make it a dramatic sight to behold from any angle or distance. It has been designed by Emanuele Luiġi Galizia, the civil engineer and architect behind many of Malta’s most distinguished architectural pieces, from quays, to stations, to aqueducts. (find architect)
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