Sannat

The quiet village of Sannat once famed for its lace-making, lies to the south of the island of Gozo. Even today, you may still chance across women sitting at their door steps working the bobbins, though this outdoor socialising and working has all but died out. The village leads to Gozo's highest cliffs, Ta' Cenc, some 130 metres high. The cliffs were important in the times of the Knights as they provided an excellent breeding ground for their Peregrine hunting falcons. The cliffs today are home to a large colony of Corry Sheerwaters; the last falcons died out in the 1980s. The cliff top is home to some enigmatic archaeological sites. The prehistoric `cart ruts', parallel tracks hewn in the rock, are so close to the edge as to defy logic.

On the plateau overlooking the village lie the remains of a temple and further along are several menhirs, or standing stones, thought to be a kind of megalithic `painting gallery', the only one of its kind on the Islands. In the village itself you can see traces of its ancient origins. Several stone balconies are in Moorish style. One of the few archaeological remains from Arabic times, a grave stone, was found in the Sannat area, close to Xewkija. The village also has a remarkable number of religious niches.