Ħal Resqun Catacombs

The Ħal Resqun catacombs at Gudja are interpreted as early Christian catacombs or paleochristian hypogea in Malta. The Ħal Resqun catacombs are especially notable for their carved decorations, and other features which are uncommon in Maltese catacombs, and of exceptional value. Some historians have suggested that, unlike other catacombs, those at Ħal Resqun portray enough Christian markers to be classified as paleochristian remains, while others view these features to be inconclusive. Some of the graffiti, interpreted by a number of historians as portraying a biblical scene, are thought to be unique in the world, and considered one of the most important remains from Late Antiquity in Malta.

First excavated in 1912, the catacombs were disturbed in 1887 during the laying of a water main. After a further excavation in the 1930s, the location of the catacombs was lost in the 1970s, with their exact location remaining unknown until their re-discovery underneath a roundabout outside the Malta International Airport in 2006.

The catacombs are again at risk of damage, due to proposed major roadworks involving the digging of a tunnel in their vicinity.