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THE INLAND SEA & AZURE WINDOW
Two
other curious phenomena at Dwejra are the Inland
Sea and the Azure Window.
THE INLAND SEA occupies
a crater-like cavity beneath the cliff where a
natural tunnel in the steep rocks allows the sea
to penetrate and to form a miniature lake at the
bottom of the depression.
The enclosed lake is
surrounded by a sandy bank quite amenable to bathing,
for the water is shallow and always warmer than
the adjacent sea.
Fisherman find the
'Inland Sea' an ideal refuge for their boats,
as the sea in that locality can be stormy and
dangerous.
The cosy little 'lake'
within the sloping sides of the huge rocky bowl
is very impressive and is a unique feature in
these islands.
When the sea is calm,
the fishermen-boatmen ferry tourists through the
tunnel into the open sea and to the neighbouring
Azure Window.
IT-TIEQA
or WINDOW is another wonder of nature in Dwejra's
rocky environment. Rather than a window it is
more a door-like formation at the sea-end of the
cliff.
Two huge vertical pillars
capped by a massive block - all formed by a strange
natural process - give the impression of a giant
door-way, through which one can admire the blue
expanse beyond the cliff.
The people of Gozo
call it the Azure Window. The sea around it is
very deep and of a dark blue hue, which explains
why the 'window' is 'azure'.
This phenomenon,
viewed from its opposite flat rocks, presents
a sight of splendour and grandeur.
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