Ta' Tabibu farmhouse

The Ta' Tabibu farmhouse is a building in St. Paul's Bay, Malta, which originally served as a militia watch post.

History


Ta' Tabibu farmhouse was built in the 14th or 15th centuries as part of Malta's early network of coastal fortifications. It was manned by the Dejma, the local militia responsible for coastal defence. It is the oldest surviving building in St. Paul's Bay, with the exception of megalithic and Roman ruins such as Buġibba Temple and San Pawl Milqi.

The farmhouse was the only defensive building in St. Paul's Bay until the construction of the Wignacourt Tower in 1610. This tower was the first of a new network of coastal towers that were built in Malta in the 17th century.

In World War II, bombs fell in the area around the farmhouse, but did not hit the building itself. Today, the building remains intact but is in a dilapidated state.

Ecology
The area around the farmhouse has unique flora and fauna, and is protected by the Maltese authorities as an Out of Development Zone (ODZ), Area of Ecological Importance (AEI) and Site of Scientific Importance (SSI).

In 2010, the Malta Environment and Planning Authority refused to allow modern buildings to be built near the Ta' Tabibu farmhouse due to the area's ecological importance. This decision was welcomed by the hertage NGO Flimkien għal Ambjent Aħjar.