Mavi Boncuk |
Sultan Abdülaziz, who visited Malta in 1867 during his European visit,
seeing the ravaged state of martyrdom cemetery, orders the Ottoman consul Naum Duhani to move it to a more beautiful place and to be re-built. Maltese architect Emanuele Luigi Galizia[1] (1830-1906) undertook the design and construction.
According to a notary public record of 11 June 1873 Xatt al Qwabar property was given with a treaty signed by Duhany Efendi and the Maltese Government in return to the Turkish government, was given rights in the Ta Sammat region.
It was decided to move the interred in the old cemetery to the new cemetery in 6 months. An important majority of the gravestones were moved to the new cemetery, with one given to the Maltese Museum for display. New martyrdom was completed by Galizia in 1874, opened as a Western orientalist Andalusia style and portrays a slightly eclectic mix of Iran and Hind Muslim forms.
Symmetrically designed on a 46 meters width by 80 meters length parcel
surrounded by high walls like a castle, with corner minarets and low minarets every 10 meters. A Tuğra dated 1290 is placed outside the entrance door consisting of a flamboyant dome and 4 minarets emphasizing that it was built by the order of the Ottoman Sultan.
There is a central road with tumbs located left and right. At the other end of the building, a Masjid and a burial ablution hall were built with a stone slab for the ceremony.
The mosque here for many years (until 1970) remained the only Muslim sanctuary in Malta. There was not much burial in Martyrs until the Great War. At the start of the first world war, the Turkish prisoners were sent to the island as a some are buried here. it was repaired by Commander Kuşçubaşı Eşref Bey and
a Martyr Monument was built.
List of the buried during the First World War in martyrdom and their origins
in the inscriptions indicate that the martyrs in Malta in general
were those coming from the Arab provinces of the Ottoman Empire.
ALORS – QUE – LE – SOLEIL – SERA – COURBÉ
ET – LES – ÉTOILES - TOMBERONT
DES - TOMBEAUX – SCELLÉS - PAR - LA - MORT
SERONT - BOULEVERSÉS
ET - DE - CE – LIT - DE - POUSSIÈRE
EVEILLÉS - DU - SOMMEIL
SORTIRONT – ROYONNANTS
LES – ENFANTS – DE – LA – FOI – ET – DE – LA - PRIÈRE
_______
DIEU - N’EST - IL - PAS - ASSEZ - PUISSANT
POUR – FAIRE – REVIVRE - LES - MORTS
_______
ÉRIGÉ – EN - L’ANNÉE – DE - L’HÉGIRE – 1290
SOUS – LE – RÈGNE – DE – SA – MAJESTÈ – IMPÉRIAL
ABDUL – AZIZ – KHAN
EMPEREUR – DES – OTTOMANS
NAOUM – DUHANY- EFEENDY
SON – CONSUL – GÉNÉRAL – À – MALTE
_______
E. L. GALIZIA – ARCHITECTE
(Meaning: As the sun will set and the stars will fall, tombs sealed by death will be disturbed and from this bed of dust awakened from sleep they will emerge radiant the children of the faith and of prayer.
_______
Is not God mighty enough to revive the dead?
_______
Erected in the year 1290 from the Hegira during the reign of his Imperial Majesty Abdul Aziz Khan Emperor of the Ottomans.
Naoum Duhany Efeendy - his Consul General to Malta.
_______
E. L. Galizia - Architect)
See also: Malta Türk Şehitliği /
The Turkish Cemetery at Malta
Mehmet TÜTÜNCÜ
SOTA Research Centre for Turkish and Arabic World Haarlem – Hollanda
e-posta: m.tutuncu(at)gmail(dot)com
Bibliography
Víncenza Grassi, The Turkish Cemetery at Mrsa on malta island Historicla Background, topography and
tombstones, Studi Maghrebini Nuova Seria Volume II Napoli 2004 pp. 177-201
Arne A. Ambros, Selected Inscriptions from The Islamic Cemetery at marsa, malta , WZMK 7-17
Un’Iscriziione Turca del 1817 a Malta, Oriento Modernoi, Nuova Serie Anno 6(67) nr. 4/6 (aprile Giugni 1987)
pp. 99-100
pictured E.L. Galizia as Superintendent of Public Works in 1880
Emanuele Luigi Galizia (7 November 1830 – 6 May 1907) was a Maltese architect and civil engineer, who designed many public buildings and several churches. He is regarded as "the principal Maltese architect throughout the second half of the nineteenth century".
Galizia graduated as a civil engineer and architect from the University of Malta, and in 1846 entered government service as an apprentice of William Lamb Arrowsmith. He became government perito in 1856 and, four years later, the chief perito, being responsible for all the government's public works. He became Superintendent of Public Works in 1880, which came with a seat on Malta's Legislative Council.
Galizia was made a knight of the Order of St. Gregory the Great by Pope Leo XIII, and he became a member of the Order of the Medjidie during Sultan Abdülaziz's visit to Malta in 1867 in recognition of Galizia's completion of the Turkish Military Cemetery in Marsa, which was commissioned by the Sultan.
He became a member of the Institution of Civil Engineers in 1886, and a fellow of the Royal Institute of British Architects in 1888. That year, the government sent him on a tour of Italy, France and England to broaden his knowledge of Gothic Revival architecture, and possibly also to provide advice on Tower Bridge in London (completed in 1894), and the Victorian restoration works at the Brighton Pavilion.
Galizia was also an examiner at the faculty of civil engineering at the University of Malta.
He was also commissioned by the Imperial Government to visit Cyprus soon after the British occupation of the island and report upon its possible colonisation. The first visit was made in conjunction with Sir Adrian Dingli and Professor Schinas; subsequently he travelled in the company of Marquis Testaferrata Olivier. The reports of the visits and surveys were printed and published under the authority of the Government at the time.An Institute of Civil Engineers obituary published in 1907 praised his "tact and affability [which] endeared him to the whole community, whilst the ability and thoroughness which he displayed in all his work gives him a permanent place in the record of professional achievement in Malta."
According to Derek Moss, Galizia
"adopted an exotic and flamboyant arabesque style with horseshoe arches and carvings which he applied to building three large terraced single storey houses (Alcazar, Pax, Alhambra) in Rudolf Street on the main access into the heart of Sliema. These were the first scheduled houses in Sliema, surrounded by fields, which dominated the rural landscape, and were seen from afar. He also designed the Police Station at the Ferries landing place and St. Gregory’s church. The Diana fountain erected in St Anne Square to commemorate the supply of fresh water to Sliema is also by Galizia’s hand. Today this stands in Balluta square."
Galizia married Victoria Vella, daughter of the Hon. Giovanni Vella CMG (a great-great-great grandfather of Daphne Caruana Galizia), and they had five children: James, Godwin, Emilia, Giovanna and Francesca Galizia.
No comments:
Post a Comment