The Culture Ministry has said that it is “premature” to consider the “drastic” option of relocating the 17th century Għajn Tuffieħa Tower from its current position due to instability in the cliff edge that it is built on.
The ministry commented to this newspaper after the area around the tower was cordoned off by the Malta Police Force – something which prompted the NGO Din l-Art Ħelwa to suggest that the tower be dismantled and relocated.
A spokesperson for the Culture Ministry told The Malta Independent that the coastal area underlying the Għajn Tuffieħa Tower is being monitored for any movements by the competent body responsible for coastal erosion.
“The precautionary stance taken to cordon off the area does not imply that it has been established that said cliffs are in imminent danger of collapse,” the ministry said.
“Indeed, further investigation might even lead to conclude that the tower’s foundations are totally sound. Until such time that this is established, it is premature to consider any drastic solution such as shifting the tower further inwards,” it added.
“Over the past two years, the coastal area underlying the Ghajn Tuffieha tower has been monitored by the Public Works Department and will conduct a detailed geotechnical assessment of its stability,” the spokesperson concluded.
Completed in 1637, Għajn Tuffieħa Tower was the second of the Lascaris Towers – a series of coastal watchtowers built by the Order of St John in order to provide an uninterrupted network of surveillance on Malta’s coastline.
The tower was restored in 2000, but it is not the first time that it has been reported to be in danger of collapse. A study in 2007 showed that precarious movements on the cliff edge that the tower is built on had been registered, and a storm in 2023 caused part of the upper masonry of the building to collapse as well.
The area around the tower was cordoned off to the public on Monday, with police saying that this was “due to significant safety risks.”
“The structure and surrounding area are at risk of collapsing, making it dangerous to access,” the police said.
The statement prompted a reaction from Din l-Art Ħelwa, which had aided in the tower’s restoration in 2000. The NGO’s Executive President Patrick Calleja said that "Development permission was recently given to dismantle part of the 19th century British Barracks at Fort Chambray to allow a better view for the newly proposed residential units. Surely, the Għajn Tuffieħa tower deserves to be dismantled and relocated for more serious, rational, historical and cultural reasons."