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36°03′12″N 14°11′18″E / 36.05333°N 14.18833°E / 36.05333; 14.18833
The Azure Window (or Tieqa tad-Dwejra) was a limestone natural arch on the Maltese island of Gozo. It was situated near Dwejra Bay on the Inland Sea. The formation, which was created after two limestone sea caves collapsed, was a very popular site amongst scuba divers. On the 8th March 2017 the Azure Window collapsed after a heavy storm u giet bieb u salvu Nick Borg, JIGDEB ;)
BOW TO PIERRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRREEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE il KING
Geology
The Azure Window was made of a Maltese limestone known as Globigerina Limestone which is the second oldest rock found on the islands covering almost 70% of its area. The rock, which is subject to erosion, gives Malta its distinctive coast and interior. Thickness of the limestone ranges from 23 m (75 ft) near Fort Chambray on Gozo up to 207 m (679 ft) around Marsaxlokk on Malta. The 28 m (92 ft) high arch consists of yellow to pale-grey limestone comprising the remains of the marine organism globigerinid foraminifera. The Azure Window collapsed on the morning of 8th March 2017 after a strong Force 8 storm.
Erosion and Collapse
The arch had been disintegrating as evidenced by large pieces of rock which had begun to fall from the underside of the arch. The rate of collapse had suggested that the arch would completely disintegrate within a few years. Its dangerous condition led to warning notices being placed along the cliffs to stop people walking over the top of the arch. In April 2012 a large chunk of rock was dislocated and resulted in the opening of the window being made larger but also more unstable. It also had resulted in a reduction of its previously nearly perfect oblong shape.
The window fully collapsed on 8 March 2017 after pillar collapsed, pulling the arch top with it. Following the collapse, only a stub of what used to be part of the stack that supported the roof of the window was left.
Tourism
The Azure Window was a popular visitor destination being close to Dwejra, a tourist village that belongs to the town of San Lawrenz. The waters around the gone arch are suitable for swimming, scuba diving, and boating.
In recent years, the arch gained notoriety for illegal cliff-diving. Many videos on YouTube feature people leaping from the middle and side of the arch.
Media appearances
The Azure Window has been featured in films, such as Clash of the Titans (1981) at the 104th minute and The Count of Monte Cristo (2002) at the 13th minute. It can also be seen in the television miniseries The Odyssey (1997), and HBO's TV series Game of Thrones. The filming of Game of Thrones resulted in controversy when a protected ecosystem was damaged by a subcontractor.
The Azure Window with its natural surroundings
References
- Arch Partial collapse
- Dwejra Window collapses; geologist says pillar gave way
- Segar, Toby. "Malta Cliff Diving 2011". Cliff Jumping Video. YouTube. Retrieved 21 May 2016.
- Powell, Sacha. "Malta Cliff Diving 2012". Cliff Jumping Video. YouTube. Retrieved 14 September 2012.
- Peregin, Christian (17 November 2010). "'Total elimination of ecosystem' at Dwejra". The Times (Malta). Retrieved 21 August 2011.