Nadur

About Nadur

Nadur is located in the eastern part of the island of Gozo. Nadur is built on a plateau and is one of the largest localities in Gozo. Known as the ' second city ', it spreads along a high ridge to the east of victoria. It had a population of 4,509 as of march 2014.

The word Nadur is derived from the Arabic word 'nadara', which means 'lookout', pretty much having the same meaning as its motto vigilant.  The motto appears in Nadur's coat of arms that shows the sun coming up from the blue seas. The town is famous for its bakeries. There are no documents or archaeological evidence which could shed light on the colonisation of Nadur by its first inhabitants. Nevertheless, the plateau and its surroundings, with a few farmhouses scattered here and there, existed for many years before the area became a parish. The only trace of archaeological evidence was a number of large flat stones found in a field between San Blas bay and Dalet Qorrot. According to the Gozitan historian Giovanni Pietro, Francesco Agius De Soldanis these roofed structures, which do not exist anymore, once used to serve as a sort of temple to gods. He also imagined that these slabs of stone couldn't have been placed there by normal people but by powerful people or giants. He also wrote that Nadur may have been founded during the time of the greeks. One proof of this connection is a bronze statue of apollo said to be found in Nadur in 1744.

Throughout history, Nadur played a very important role in the defence of the island from corsairs, hence the name. During the reign of the knights of st. John, a watch tower was built by grandmaster Nicolas Cotoner which has been referred to by dalet qorrot tower or San Blas tower for the two bays lying on either side of it. The tower is locally known as Isopu Tower.

Another watchtower found in Nadur is ta' Kenuna tower built by the British towards the middle of the 19th century. It served as a telegraph link between malta and gozo. From the top of this semaphore tower, one can see most of the island, Comino and Mellieħa with a beautiful view in the winter of the green fields and the blue sea. The area near the tower was constructed into a garden.

Near Nadur are San Bas and Dahlet Qorrot bays, tiny rocky bays on the northeastern coast. These are locations for swimming, snorkelling, picnics, and trekking.