Malta is known as the garden of Europe and the heart of the Mediterranean. Malta boasts the clearest waters in the world and is famous for its magnificent marine scenery, among which the three blues: the "Azure Window," "Blue Grotto," and "Blue Lagoon" are the most captivating.
The Azure Window is the most famous attraction on the entire island of Gozo and a must-visit site in Malta. The Azure Window is located at the edge of a cliff and is a natural limestone arch, through which visitors can see the spectacular view of the sea and sky merging into one.
Due to the huge waves caused by strong winds, the famous "Azure Window" in Malta collapsed on the morning of March 8, 2017, and this attraction will forever disappear. Locals witnessed the event: "At first, the waves roared beneath the rocks, suddenly the stone arch collapsed with a loud crash and fell into the waves. After the waves receded, the entire Azure Window was gone."
Reports had previously indicated that long-term natural erosion would eventually lead to the disappearance of this attraction. The relevant authorities in Malta gradually developed an awareness of the need to strengthen the protection of the "Azure Window." At the end of 2016, Malta enacted regulations prohibiting climbing on the "Azure Window" or walking on top of it, jumping from the top of the "Azure Window," and entering the waters directly below the "Azure Window." However, this could not withstand the natural onslaught of wind and waves.
The Azure Window, Blue Lagoon, and Blue Grotto, collectively known as the "Three Blues," are famous attractions in Malta. The Azure Window features natural stone pillars approximately 100 meters in diameter on either side, supporting a stone cap, forming a "window" about 100 meters high and 20 meters wide, through which the blue waves can be seen, hence the name "Azure Window." Looking through the arch, the sea and sky reflect each other, creating an extraordinarily beautiful scene, as if time and history are frozen in that moment. It attracts climbers from around the world to challenge their limits and is also a world-renowned diving paradise.
Although the world mourns this news, in addition to striving to protect these beautiful sights, perhaps we must also accept that they will eventually disappear, just like our own lives, witnessing the epic of time and eternity through existence and extinction.