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Sliema ( ) is a town located on the northeast coast of Malta in the Northern Harbour District. It is a major residential and commercial area and a centre for shopping, bars, dining, and café life. It is also the most densely populated town on the island.
Lining the coastline is a promenade known as the Sliema Front that has become the ideal spot for joggers and walkers as well as a prolific meeting place for locals during the summer season. Sliema is also known for its numerous rocky beaches, water sports and hotels. The Strand in Sliema is a popular viewing spot for fireworks displays that take place in August.
Sliema, which means 'peace or comfort', was once a quiet fishing village on the peninsula across Marsamxett Harbour from Valletta and has views of the capital city. The population began to grow in 1853 and the town was declared a parish in 1878. Now Sliema and the coastline up to neighbouring St. Julian's constitute Malta's main coastal resort.
Sliema is considered a desirable place to live and is relatively affluent, with extremely high property prices compared to the national average. Historically, stylish villas and traditional Maltese townhouses lined the streets of Sliema. Sliema has now been ringed with modern apartment blocks, some of which are amongst the tallest buildings in Malta. This has resulted in significant traffic, parking and construction-related noise pollution issues.
Residents of Sliema are stereotypically known for their usage of English as a first language, although this is changing in the 21st century due to demographic shifts. Maltese people from Sliema are referred to as Slimiżi.
Sliema may have got its name from the Our Lady of Good Voyage Chapel, that now no longer exists. It periodically served as a reference point for the sailors and fishermen in Marsamxett Harbour. The construction age of the church is unknown but it was included in a map by the Order of St. John even before being handed the Maltese islands to them. The name could thus be connected with the first words of the Hail Mary prayer, which in Maltese language is Sliem Għalik Marija.
There is also a possibility that the origin is from an Arabic first name or a Hebrew family name.
The town began to develop rapidly in the second half of the 19th century, becoming popular as a summer resort for wealthier Valletta residents. Their elegant villas and town houses lined the quiet, inland streets. Various Victorian buildings graced its three-kilometre sea promenade which overlooked rugged rocks, farms and even a small sandy beach. In 1990 one of these farms which had been abandoned was transformed into a coastline garden known as Ġnien Indipendenza (Independence Garden).
A few Victorian, as well as Art Nouveau houses, still remain in the inner streets, although only a handful remain along the shoreline, as there has been significant modern development of apartment blocks and hotels. A distinctive group of six traditional houses with Maltese balconies has survived remarkably intact at Belvedere Terrace, set back from Ix-Xatt (the Strand). These houses overlook Manoel Island to the South across the Sliema Creek; the houses have heritage protection and the lower buildings between them and Ix-Xatt cannot be built upwards.
The British built a number of fortifications on the Sliema peninsula in the 19th century. These were Sliema Point Battery (1872–1876), Cambridge Battery (1878–1886) and Garden Battery (1889–1894). In addition, the 18th century Fort Tigné remained in use as well, and barracks were built on the Tigné peninsula.
In 1881 the first sea water distillery on the island was erected in Sliema in order to provide water to the Tigné barracks. In 1882 the distillery was decommissioned and the building, which still stands today, has been occupied by a printing press since that time. The barracks it supplied water to were demolished in 2001 in order to make way for the development of Tigné Point development.
The town has a considerable number of streets connected with the British era in Malta, such as Norfolk Street, Amery Street, Windsor Terrace, Graham Street, Milner Street and Fort Cambridge.
In 1941, during the Second World War Siege of Malta, Sliema was hit by some Axis powers bombers during an air raid that caused the death of 21 civilians.
Development, high population density, parking problems and high property prices have led many younger people originally from the area to choose to live elsewhere on the island and consequently Sliema is suffering from an aging population. There are several foreign expatriates who reside in Sliema. There remains net inward migration to Sliema. The prevalence of use amongst Sliema residents of English as a first language is decreasing although it remains significantly higher than other localities on the island. Code-switching in English sentences with peppered Maltese words and phrases is relatively common in Sliema, as well as St. Julian's, Pembroke, Swieqi, Madliena, San Ġwann and Kappara, although there are several individuals who speak exclusively in English or Maltese without mixing the two (see Maltenglish). There are a number of Maltese people who are fluent in English but struggle with the Maltese language, and this reflects use of English at home and at English-speaking schools. Despite some misconceptions and stereotypes, the vast majority of people from Sliema are fluent in Maltese and speak it as a first language.
Due to the iGaming industry's introduction in Malta, Sliema has also seen a huge influx of foreigners, primarily from Scandinavia.
It was the birthplace of several famous people: former prime minister Alfred Sant; Michael Falzon of the Malta Labour Party; George Stivala, High Commissioner for Malta in Australia during the 1950s and 1960s; Archbishop George Caruana (1882–1951), the venerable Don Nazzareno Camilleri (1906–1973), British journalist Peter Hitchens, vocalist Marc Storace of the Swiss heavy metal band Krokus, and Dublin-based singer/songwriter Adrian Crowley.
Irish billionaire Denis O'Brien has a "residential address" as Flat 6/60, Suite F, Tigne Street in Sliema, according to O'Brien's own filing with the Companies Registration Office (CRO). The Maltese-born, American-naturalized actor Joseph Calleia lived in Sliema from his retirement in 1963 to his death in 1975.
In addition to the above list of churches, is the Anglican Holy Trinity Church Built in 1866 in Rudolphe Street.
Furthermore, Sliema is also represented in Rugby by Stompers RFC. Sliema Fight Co., formerly based within the Preluna Hotel complex and now operating as Malta Fight Co., is located within the Sliema Wanderers FC training ground and has its own Boxing, Kickboxing, BJJ, Muay Thai and Mixed Martial Arts teams.
The latest team to come out of Sliema, competes in the national beach soccer league and goes under the name of Sliema Beach Soccer.
Over the years, the Sliema Group has collected a wealth of scouting tradition and has proudly passed this knowledge on from generation to generation.
Sliema's main roads include:
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