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Għar Ħasan

Birżebbuġa, Italy

Għar Ħasan

Għar Ħasan (English: Hasan's Cave) is a karst limestone cave located along the southern coast of Malta, in the vicinity of Ħal Far within the limits of Birżebbuġa. One of the longest caverns on the island, it consists of several interconnected passageways which lead to two window-like openings in th

e cliff face along with a rock-hewn chamber which was excavated at an unknown date. The earliest evidence of human activity within the cave dates back to the Bronze Age, and while traces of pigments along some cave walls have sometimes been interpreted as poorly-preserved cave paintings these have never been definitively dated and it is doubtful whether they are of prehistoric origin. In Maltese folklore, the cave is traditionally associated with a tale of a Muslim man named Ħasan who is said to have used it as a hideout in the 12th century. There are multiple versions of the story, most of which involve Ħasan kidnapping a Maltese woman and culminating in both of their deaths. The cave possibly takes its name from this story, although alternative etymologies have also been proposed. The first known mention of the cave in historical records is from the 16th century, and several investigations...

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