Malta stands as a small but proud island nation within the Mediterranean Sea. For much of Human history, it’s location roughly in the middle of that sea has made it hugely strategically important across successive civilisations. From the Phoenicians and Carthaginians through the likes of the Romans and Greeks through to French and British to name but a few, it has been claimed by many and inhabited since around 6000 BCE. Indeed, until 1963, it was home to what were regarded as the oldest free-standing structures on Earth: the Megalithic Temples of Malta, although the title was taken by the structures at Göbekli Tepe, Turkey – a location also featured in SL courtesy of Konrad (Kaiju Kohime) and Saskia Rieko – see A Night Sky with a touch of history in Second Life.
As well as being steeped in history, Malta is also an archipelago of stunning natural beauty and uniqueness – including having its own endemic sub-species of bee (from which its current name name might be in part derived). The coastlines of Malta’s two major islands have a number of captivating bays, cliffs and more – but potentially one of the most engaging (particularly in terms of tourism) lies on Gozo, Malta’s second largest island. It is that of Dwejra, and it is this location Moonstone (Hecatolite) has chosen to reproduce as a public space in Second Life.
Moonstone’s Dwejra, however, is not one that portrays the bay as it is, but rather as it was up until March 8th, 2017: the place famous for the the massive and impressive Azure Window, a huge natural arch 28 metres tall, carved into a limestone promontory extending outwards from the island’s coast.
Sadly, both arch and promontory were lost as a result of a particularly violent storm which struck the island in 2017. However, through her work, Moonstone has ensured we can for a time appreciate it in-world in a manner very similar in appearance to how it stood for most of it’s roughly 200-year history, if minus the spray and foam almost always present as a result of the ebb and surge of the tide breaking over remnants of the cave to which it is believed the Window once provided access prior to the entire cave collapsing into the sea to leave the arch standing alone.
However, the Azure Window is not the only natural formation for which Dwejra is famous. There is also Qawra, the Inland Sea and its associated Blue Hole dive site just offshore, said to have been one of Jacques Cousteau’s favourite places to dive.
Qawra is a saltwater lagoon marked by a gently shelving shale beach to one side and high limestone cliffs on the other, through which another archway provides passage for seawater, fish and marine life – and small fishing boats, the lagoon offering a safe harbour from the latter, its beachside area now the home to a small village.
The Inland Sea is very much in evidence within Moonstone’s Homestead design, complete with arched tunnel winding through the cliffs to reach the open waters. In addition to these natural sights (and sites!), it includes some of those built by human hands which have become associated with the location. There is the little fishing enclave huddled on the protected shoreline of the Inland Sea whilst behind them on a grassy rise sits a small chapel, perhaps representative of St. Anne’s Chapel – itself famous for being located close to cart tracks connecting Dwejra to Il-Mixta, one of several locations scattered across Gozo which are believed to be the sites of the island’s earliest settlers.
Across the landscape from the church and sitting on another low hill is a house which is perhaps representative of the house from which the area takes its current name (others of which include Doviera and Dueira). Between the house and the village and the chapel the land forms open fields and grazing typical for the region in the – physical world, and Moonstone has clearly used a line of cliffs to the east and false road tunnel through them to give the impression that were one to pass through the tunnel, they’d find themselves within the greater landscape of Gozo island as a whole.
The village is mostly empty building shells (hardly surprising, given this is a homestead region), but for those willing to explore the foot of the cliffs curling away from the Inland Sea and around the house on its west side might find a route up to their flat tops. If you do, and continue your explorations along the rugged back of the cliffs, you’ll doubtless find a couple of adventure activities awaiting in the form of hang-gliding and cliff diving (off the promontory beyond the Azure Window). Also awaiting discovery back down at sea level is a small rock pool typical of many to be found around the islands of Malta. This one is set out for a little quiet sunbathing whilst those fancying a swim ca do so via a buoy bobbing a few metres offshore from the pool’s surrounding ring of rock.
It would have been nice to see the Dwejra Tower featured in this build. Constructed in 1652, it is one of several coastal watchtowers built to keep an eye out for (and warn against) the arrival of raiding corsairs, and it sits atop the cliffs within observation distance of the Inland Sea and the former Azure Window. However, these towers were of a particular design (and Homesteads do have limited Land Capacity to play with as already noted), so finding a design which fits the look and doesn’t gobble LI isn’t going to be easy, so its absence is both easy to forgive and doesn’t, push come to shove, detract in any way from the finished build.
In all, Dwejra in Second Life is beautifully realised given the constraints of region size in SL, and more than captures the look and feel of its namesake. Rich in photographic opportunities and offering opportunities for the aforementioned activities, it is a place which should be visited and appreciated by all Second Life explorers.
SLurl Details
- Dwejra (Love Temptations, rated Moderate)
Inara Pey: Living in a Modemworld 