The White Tower (Maltese name: Torri l-Abjad), also known as Aħrax Tower, is a small watchtower overlooking Armier Bay in Mellieħa, Malta. It was built in 1658 as the sixth of the De Redin towers.
In 1715, an artillery battery known as Batteria della Harach was built around the tower. The battery consisted of a semicircular gun platform with a parapet en barbette, a blockhouse built against the tower’s western wall, and two walls connecting the tower to the gun platform. It was surrounded by a moat cut into the rock.
In the 19th century, the British used the tower as a naval station, adding several structures to it. At one point, it served as the governor’s summer residence, and the coat of arms of Great Britain replaced the personal emblem of De Redin. After World War II, the tower became private property but was eventually abandoned.
In 2009, the tower was transferred to the Mellieħa local council, and in 2016, it was handed over to the nonprofit organization Din l-Art Ħelwa for a 10-year period for conservation, restoration, and rehabilitation. After three years of restoration, the tower was reopened to the public in June 2021 and now serves as an educational center.
The White Tower is the northernmost fortification on Malta’s main island. Its structure is similar to other De Redin towers, featuring a square base and two floors, though its foundation is slightly larger than the others.
The tower is located in an area of high landscape, geological, and scientific significance, rich in both marine and terrestrial biodiversity, near the l-Aħrax tal-Mellieħa camping site.
In 1715, an artillery battery known as Batteria della Harach was built around the tower. The battery consisted of a semicircular gun platform with a parapet en barbette, a blockhouse built against the tower’s western wall, and two walls connecting the tower to the gun platform. It was surrounded by a moat cut into the rock.
In the 19th century, the British used the tower as a naval station, adding several structures to it. At one point, it served as the governor’s summer residence, and the coat of arms of Great Britain replaced the personal emblem of De Redin. After World War II, the tower became private property but was eventually abandoned.
In 2009, the tower was transferred to the Mellieħa local council, and in 2016, it was handed over to the nonprofit organization Din l-Art Ħelwa for a 10-year period for conservation, restoration, and rehabilitation. After three years of restoration, the tower was reopened to the public in June 2021 and now serves as an educational center.
The White Tower is the northernmost fortification on Malta’s main island. Its structure is similar to other De Redin towers, featuring a square base and two floors, though its foundation is slightly larger than the others.
The tower is located in an area of high landscape, geological, and scientific significance, rich in both marine and terrestrial biodiversity, near the l-Aħrax tal-Mellieħa camping site.