Birzebbuga

Birzebbuga, also spelled Birzebbugia, village, southeastern Malta, on Marsaxlokk Bay, southeast of Valletta. The city’s name is derived from the Arabic word for “olive.” The present village originated as a fishing settlement and is now mainly a summer resort, with Pretty Bay as its focal point. Its environs are rich in prehistoric remains, notably the cave of Ghar Dalam, a Copper Age temple at Borg in-Nadur, and a Bronze Age acropolis dating from c. 1250 bc. During the tenure of the Hospitallers, the long coastline around the southeastern corner of Malta was intensely fortified. The surviving fortifications include a number of batteries. A thriving container seaport—a centre of trade—is located next to the village. Pop. (2007 est.) 8,742.