Marsa, Malta

Marsa is a town in the Southern Region of Malta. It is known by the Maltese name "Il-Marsa." The town's name, Marsa, means "the harbour." As of March 2014, Marsa had a population of 4,401 people.

History

Marsa is situated along Marsa Creek, a body of water connected to the Grand Harbour. The Phoenicians were the first to establish a port there. Later, the Romans also left their mark, with remains of their buildings found nearby.

During the Great Siege of Malta in 1565, troops from the Ottoman Empire used Marsa as a camp. After they were defeated, Marsa became a barony with vineyards. In the 17th century, a museum called Museo di San Giacomo was created there, making it the first museum in Malta.

In the 1800s, the British helped drain the marshes to stop sickness. A new port was built in the 1860s, and plans were made to create a town called Albert Town. Though this town was later abandoned, a new town called Marsa grew in the 20th century. In 2022, Marsa was named Malta's first "city of culture" with special events planned to bring life to the area.

Facilities

Marsa is home to the Malta Shipyards. In November 2014, the shipyards hosted the 12th annual 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, began to be torn down in 2014. A new distribution centre will be built in its place to help the island's power supply.

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. Among them, there were 3,416 males and 2,471 females. Out 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