Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/989894
14 maltatoday | SUNDAY • 3 JUNE 2018 NEWS Around Malta through its weird and wonderful sights Beautiful folly: the Mystique house constructed in the Mejxu Valley. Built by the Marquis Scicluna in the 1960s, it was first used as a residence followed by the transformation into a nightclub MYSTERIOUS, quirky, won- derful... that is how Bizarre Malta bills the sights of a small island rarely seen out- side of its touristic prism. Instead, Oliver Gatt and Fiona Vella's publication ex- plores a Malta both old and new through the powerful medium of photography, his- torical anecdote and popular lore. BDL's latest publication captures stunning images of Malta's bizarre architectural follies such as Marquis Sciclu- na's Gaudi-like Mystique in the Mejxu valley at Madliena, or the faux fairy-tale castle near Ta' Qali; natural wonders like the Maqluba sinkhole in Qrendi or Zabbar's Cirku tal- Bidni; and creepy naps from inside the Capuchins' crypt in Floriana. It's an engrossing collection of tales and historical recol- lections guaranteed to delight both young and old, with its excellent photography doing justice to the less trodden ar- eas of this rich island. The Maqluba sinkhole in Qrendi: like all sinkholes, this cavity was formed by the collapse of a limestone floor situated above a cavity hollowed out by water flowing in a karstic relief. The diameter is around 50m, and the depth is around 15m, the area approximately 6000m² and the perimeter 300m. A chapel consecrated to Saint Matthew was built on the edge of the sinkhole, and has been in existence since at least the 14th century, probably dating back to the 11th century PHOTOS BY OLIVER GATT PHOTO BY OLIVER GATT