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Safi
Ħal Safi | |
|---|---|
 | |
 Flag  Coat of arms | |
| Motto: Sine Macula | |
 | |
| Coordinates: 35°50′0″N 14°29′6″E / 35.83333°N 14.48500°E | |
| Country |  Malta |
| Region | Southern Region |
| District | South Eastern District |
| Borders | Żurrieq, Kirkop, Luqa |
| Government | |
| • Mayor | Johan Mula (PL) |
| Area | |
• Total | 2.3 km2 (0.9 sq mi) |
| Population (Jan. 2019) | |
• Total | 2,280 |
| • Density | 990/km2 (2,600/sq mi) |
| Demonym(s) | Ħalsafi (m), Ħalsafija (f), Ħalsafin (pl) |
| Time zone | UTC+1 (CET) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC+2 (CEST) |
| Postal code | SFI |
| Dialing code | 356 |
| ISO 3166 code | MT-47 |
| Patron saint | St. Paul |
| Day of festa | last Sunday of August |
| Website | Official website |
Safi (Maltese: Ħal Safi) is a village in the Southern Region of Malta, bordering Żurrieq and Kirkop. It has a population of 2,126 people as of March 2014.[1]
The formation of the village, as known today, goes back to the Punic-Roman period: the Ta' Ġawhar Tower, a round Punic-Roman tower in the village, was probably built at the time of the Punic Wars. The village of Ħal Safi is surrounded by four other major villages. Farmers and peasants used to interact on their way back home from work. After a niche was erected, people began to settle, a new village started to form and expanded over the years.
In 1417, the village was already recorded as being named Ħal Safi. According to 1419 records of the Standing Army (id-Dejma), between eighty and ninety people were considered as village residents. The job occupations of the period were based on primary economic functions, mainly rearing animals and agriculture.
The origin of the village's name is uncertain. Some historians believe that the name derived from the pure (Maltese: safi) air of the area, others insist it is due to its similarity to the City of Safi in Morocco, and others say the name came about since none of the residents were contaminated during an epidemic infection that hit vast zones in Malta. The coat-of-arms, a horizontal light-blue stripe on a silver background, and the motto, Sine Macula, emphasize the meaning of the village.
- ^ "Estimated Population by Locality 31st March, 2014". Government of Malta. 16 May 2014. Archived from the original on 21 June 2015.