Updated 2.39pm - Added Environment Minister comments

The Azure Window has collapsed and it is not just the top part which has fallen off - even the stacks have gone.

Roger Chessell, a Xagħra resident, was at Dwejra when the window collapsed at about 9.40am, having gone to take pictures of the storm.

The 'Azure Window' now and then. Photo above: Roger Chessnell, below: file photo

“There was a big raging sea beneath the window,” he told the Times of Malta.

“Suddenly, the arch collapsed into the sea with a loud whoomph, throwing up a huge spray. By the time the spray had faded, the stack had gone too."

READ: Ripples from the window's collapse spread across the globe

In a press conference, Environment Minister Jose Herrera said several studies had shown that no man-made intervention could have prevented the collapse.

Gozo Minister Anton Refalo likened the event to "losing a part of yourself" but was keen to stress that Gozo had a lot to offer apart from the Azure Window.

Tourism Minister Edward Zammit Lewis described the window as a marketing asset that had now been lost, but expressed confidence that Gozitan tourism would weather the blow.

Strong winds

Strong gale force winds hit Malta yesterday, even leading Gozo Channel to suspend its services.

Photo: Marlon George Grech

Prime Minister Joseph Muscat tweeted the news about the window this morning.

I have just been informed that the beautiful Tieqa tad-Dwejra in #Gozo has collapsed. Updates soon. — Joseph Muscat (@JosephMuscat_JM) March 8, 2017

The site from where one could admire it-Tieqa tad-Dwejra. Heartbreaking. pic.twitter.com/S4XV6MyKRu — Joseph Muscat (@JosephMuscat_JM) March 8, 2017

Reports commissioned over the years indicated that this landmark would be hard hit by unavoidable natural corrosion. That sad day arrived. — Joseph Muscat (@JosephMuscat_JM) March 8, 2017

“It is as if we never had an Azure Window,” one person said.

Opposition leader Simon Busuttil also tweeted, describing this as "a sad day for Malta".

This is a sad day for #Malta. We have just lost an icon of our country's natural beauty. https://t.co/Rgu8BeRKm2 — Simon Busuttil (@SimonBusuttil) March 8, 2017

Video: Matthew Mirabelli

As soon as the news hit the headlines, many Gozitans started heading towards the area wanting to see what had happened with their own eyes.

Many were on site by mid-morning, still unable to believe what had happened.

The police later issued on appeal on Facebook calling on people to avoid the area.

The Gozo Tourism Association issued a statement saying that the inevitable had happened and the island lost one of its iconic beauties.

"The flagship of the Gozitan touristic sites has sunk in its same birth place from where for thousands of years, it stood high and proud heralding one of the natural beauties our little island is endowed with," the Association said.

"The much promoted Azure window is no more, and only millions of photographs remain as testimony of this touristic spot."

They said that although Dwejra had been "orphaned" with the loss, the tourism community in Gozo believed Dwejra would continue to thousands of tourists every day.

"The Azure window’s demise should serve as an eye-opener to all concerned to look after and maintain and protect where possible, the touristic sites this little Island has to offer."

Only last January, rough seas had exposed the fragility of the iconic site, with waves breaking off a large slab at the base of one of its cliffs.

READ: Rough seas chip away at the Azure Window

A three-month geological study published in 2013 had concluded that while erosion was inevitable, the structure was not in imminent danger of collapsing.

At the time, geologists had said that the Azure Window was likely to survive for "decades" to come.

Concerns about its long-term future grew over the past year, and a steering committee tasked with overseeing the site's management was recomposed after a three-year hiatus.

The government had also made walking across the arch a fineable offence - but enforcement was lacking.

The Azure Window was created after two limestone sea caves collapsed. It was one of the Maltese Islands' most distinctive sites, attracting thousands of tourists every year.

Video: YouTube, The Maltese drone

Life today also came to an end for a very old tree at Rabat, just at the foot of Saqqajja Hill, another victim of the winds.</s>The Azure Window, a beautiful limestone arch located on the Maltese island of Gozo, has collapsed into the sea following heavy evening storms.

Residents and tourists on the island flocked to social media this morning to share photos of where the Azure Window once stood. As you can see below, the destruction was substantial and little of the original rock formation remains.

The destruction of the Azure Window, created after two limestone sea caves collapsed, is not a complete surprise to geologists. Over the last 30 years, 90 percent of its lower layers had fallen into the sea. According to Atlas Obscura, tourism officials even had a plan in place to rename the site the "Azure Pinnacle" after the window collapsed. (One optimistic geology report from 2013 predicted that the ocean pillar might survive well into the future, but that was not the case.)

"Reports commissioned over the years indicated that this landmark would be hard hit by unavoidable natural corrosion," Malta's prime minister Joseph Muscat announced on Twitter. "That sad day arrived."

Now that both the pillar and arch are gone, officials will see if the Blue Hole, a popular dive site near the site, has in any way been impacted by the collapse.

Thanks for the memories

The Azure Window as seen in the HBO series 'Game of Thrones.' (Photo: HBO)

Even if you never had a chance to visit the Azure Window, you may have spied it in several Hollywood productions. The arch was featured in HBO's hit drama "Game of Thrones," as well as such films as "Clash of the Titans," "The Count of Monte Cristo" and "The Odyssey."

As you can see below, the site was also popular with cliff jumpers, a sport that officials had attempted to curb with fines in recent years.

With the Azure Window now gone, perhaps another not-so-famous arch on the island called Wied il-Mielah will gain the respect it deserves.</s>Malta’s much loved arch, the Azure Window or Tieqa tad-Dwejra, as it is known in Malta, was lost to the sea yesterday morning.

The loss of this monumental rock moved the Maltese prime minster Joseph Muscat, to tweet the news. “Heartbreaking,” he said.

This limestone arch near Dwejra Bay on Gozo, an island in the Maltese archipelago, is one of featured in the HBO television series Games of Thrones and been notorious as a cliff-jumping location.

“Reports commissioned over the years indicated that this landmark would be hard hit by unavoidable natural corrosion. That sad day arrived,” tweeted Mr Muscat.

The Arch has always been a must-see site for tourists, some taking boat trips that followed the cliffs to see it.

In 2013 a geological study found that erosion was inevitable and the government made it illegal for visitors to walk on it – a crime punishable by a fine of €1,500 (£1,233).

Read our articles on Gozo, Malta’s diminutive sister and The hidden wonders of Gozo, Malta’s sister island where we admired Azure Window.</s>Malta's Prime Minister Joseph Muscat described the news that Azure Window had collapsed as ‘heartbreaking'. “I have just been informed that the beautiful Tieqa tad-Dwejra in #Gozo has collapsed,” he tweeted this morning.

"Reports commissioned over the years indicated that this landmark would be hard hit by unavoidable natural corrosion. That sad day arrived." After the Azure Window crumbled into the sea amid storms, here is a look why the iconic arch was so special to the people of Malta and tourists alike.

What is the Azure Window? The Azure Window limestone arch was believed to be thousands of years old and was renowned for its breathtaking beauty. The striking arch, surrounded by turquoise water, was one of the most popular tourist destinations on the Maltese archipelago. It is the famous for being the backdrop to the wedding between Daenerys and Drogo in the hit television series Game of Thrones. The Azure Window also appeared in number of films such as the Clash of the Titans and The Count of Monte Cristo.</s>As arches go, the Azure Window had celebrity status, featuring in films such as Clash of the Titans and The Count of Monte Cristo and serving as the backdrop to the Dothraki wedding scene in the television version of Game of Thrones.

But now, the limestone arch, one of Malta’s most famous landmarks, is no more, having collapsed into the sea after a heavy storm.

Malta’s prime minister, Joseph Muscat, said the news was heartbreaking. “Reports commissioned over the years indicated that this landmark would be hard hit by unavoidable natural corrosion. That sad day arrived,” he said.

A study in 2013 said that while erosion was inevitable, the structure on the Maltese island of Gozo was not in imminent danger of collapsing.



At the time, geologists said the Azure Window was likely to survive for decades, but concerns about its long-term future grew over the past year. Officials recently introduced a fine on people who walked over the arch, though it was rarely enforced, and tourists have been filmed jumping off the structure.

On Tuesday strong gale-force winds in Malta lead the Gozo Channel ferry company to suspend its services.

Roger Chessell, from the village of Xaghra on Gozo, witnessed the collapse. He told the Times of Malta: “There was a big raging sea beneath the window,” he said. “Suddenly, the arch collapsed into the sea with a loud whoomph, throwing up a huge spray. By the time the spray had faded, the stack had gone too.”

The environment minister José Herrera told a press conference no human intervention could have prevented the arch from collapsing. Another minister likened the collapse to “losing a part of yourself”.



Dr Peter Gatt, a geologist, told the Malta Independent the collapse followed years of erosion caused by under- and overground sea swells.</s>One of Malta's most iconic landmarks - the Azure Window - has collapsed into the sea in a storm.

The natural rock arch, which jutted into the ocean, was used as a backdrop in popular HBO series Game of Thrones.

Malta Prime Minister Joseph Muscat tweeted his "heartbreaking" sadness at the loss on Wednesday of one of the main tourist attractions on the island of Gozo.

No one was injured.

Geologist Peter Gatt said the limestone pillar supporting the arch had given way.

He attributed the collapse to years of erosion by the sea.

The Azure Window also served as a backdrop in the 1981 movie Clash of the Titans.

With parts of the rock formation crumbling over the years, the government last month enacted 1,500 euro fines (£1,300) for anyone caught walking across the arch.</s>A beloved Maltese landmark that once served as a Game of Thrones backdrop has vanished forever.

The Azure Window, a limestone arch that drew droves of tourists to the island of Gozo, collapsed into the sea during a punishing storm early Wednesday.

Luckily, nobody was atop the formation when it fell apart.

Maltese Prime Minister Joseph Muscat said the naturally formed monument’s absence is a “heartbreaking” scene for the country.

“Reports commissioned over the years indicated that this landmark would be hard hit by unavoidable natural corrosion,” he said. “That sad day arrived.”

Hastened by the storm, that sad day arrived much earlier than anticipated. A 2013 study found that erosion was constantly wearing away at the arch, but concluded that a complete structural failure was likely decades away.

In an attempt to slow that erosion, the country recently began fining people who walked over the arch but that did little to stop tourists from strolling atop the rock.

Local resident Roger Chessell was watching the storm when he witnessed the collapse.

“There was a big raging sea beneath the window,” Chessell told The Times of Malta. “Suddenly, the arch collapsed into the sea with a loud ‘whoomph,’ throwing up a huge spray.

“By the time the spray had faded, the stack had gone, too.”

The Azure Window enjoyed a renewed jolt of global fame when it served as the set for the wedding of Khol Drogo and Daenerys Targaryen in the first season of HBO’s Game of Thrones.

However, that jolt was accompanied by controversy when a local expert blasted the production for its “total elimination of ecosystem” in the sensitive area.

“Malta desperately needs to grow up,” former environment official Alfred Baldacchino told The Times of Malta in 2010. “The (filming) permit could not, and should not, have been issued.

“It obliterated the microhabitat of all the species in the area…if it were an egg, it is now an omelette.”</s>The iconic Azure Window on the Maltese island of Gozo collapsed into the sea today. The breath-taking structure was believed to be thousands of years old, but rough seas have finally taken their toll and the limestone arch crumbled into the Inland Sea. One of the most popular destinations on the Maltese archipelago, the turquoise waters surrounding the limestone sculpture have been a popular site for swimming, scuba diving and boating. In 2012 a large piece of rock dislocated from the imposing arch, an alteration that has significantly led to its devastating demise.

Joseph Muscat tweeted: "I have just been informed that the beautiful Tieqa tad-Dwejra in #Gozo has collapsed. Updates soon. "Reports commissioned over the years indicated that this landmark would be hard hit by unavoidable natural corrosion. That sad day arrived." Hundreds of people took to the Prime Minister's Twitter account to acknowledge the site. The Azure Window’s memory has been preserved in a number of films, including Clash of the Titans and The Count of Monte Cristo.

The famous landmark was also the backdrop to the wedding between Daenerys and Drogo in the first episode of the television series Game of Thrones. A 2013 study said that the structure was not in imminent danger of collapsing despite inevitable erosion, the Times of Malta reported. Signs had recently been introduced instructing people to stop walking across the landmark, with the threat of a fine – but these warnings were frequently ignored. "There was a big raging sea beneath the window,” Roger Chessell, from the village of Xaghra, told the Times of Malta. “Suddenly, the arch collapsed into the sea."

Malta was hit by gale force winds on Tuesday, so strong that the ferry services from Malta to Gozo were suspended. There is a second, less well-known arch nearby at Wied il-Mielah, but for many this is little consolation. Many expressed their sadness on social media, with Jonnie Atha writing on Twitter: “Gutted that the Azure Window on Gozo in Malta has collapsed in a storm. So glad to have seen it in September '16.” “Went to Dwejra this morning and my heart broke a little bit. Goodbye Azure Window,” tweeted Stephanie Murphy.</s>The limestone arch stood stately against a cloudless sky, towering in the background as Khal Drogo and Daenerys Targaryen wed (and dozens died) in the "Game of Thrones" series premiere. The violent wedding may have been a fictional feature of Essos, but the stone formation was anything but.

Called the Azure Window or Tieqa tad-Dwejra, the natural landmark jutted sharply off the 25-square-mile island of Gozo, one of the three forming the Maltese archipelago in the Mediterranean. Travelers have long sought a view of the striking structure, particularly since its existence has always been fleeting.

The Azure Window has finally closed. During a strong storm on Wednesday morning, it collapsed and fell into the Mediterranean Sea.

"There was a big raging sea beneath the window," Xaghra resident Roger Chessell, who witnessed the collapse, told the Times of Malta. "Suddenly, the arch collapsed into the sea with a loud whoomph, throwing up a huge spray. By the time the spray had faded, the stack had gone too."

Calling it "heartbreaking," Malta Prime Minister Joseph Muscat wrote on Twitter, "I have just been informed that the beautiful Tieqa tad-Dwejra in Gozo has collapsed. ... Reports commissioned over the years indicated that this landmark would be hard hit by unavoidable natural corrosion."

"Today Gozo has lost one of its iconic beauties," the Gozo Tourism Association wrote on Facebook. "The inevitable and the much feared has happened. The flagship of the Gozitan touristic sites has sunk in its same birth place. ... The much promoted Azure Window is no more, and only millions of photographs remain as testimony of this touristic spot."

Scientists believe the 92-foot-tall arch, one of 26 in the Maltese Islands, formed as the pounding of sea and rain water eroded the limestone below. Eventually, it grew into the tourist destination it is today. The Gozo Tourism Association estimated that 80 percent of the island's guests visited the arch. According to a report from the European Commission, that comes out to about 850,000 visitors each year.

In 1998, it was included on a tentative list of UNESCO world heritage sites, though it didn't progress further.

Eventually, it became a popular filming location, particularly for mythological epics.

In addition to "Game of Thrones," it was featured in "Clash of the Titans," NBC's "The Odyssey," and the 2002 version of "The Count of Monte Cristo." It found its way onto the world's iPhones as well, becoming something of a social media star. Nearly 50,000 Instagram images are tagged with #azurewindow. Countless more were geotagged there.

But it's always been at risk from nature. In 2013, the Times of Malta published a story with the foreshadowing headline, "The Azure Window is still safe ... for now."

The arch was comprised of two layers of different types of limestone, as explained by Geoscience Consulting head geologist Peter Gatt. The top layer was upper coralline limestone, which is hard-wearing, not too susceptible to erosion. The other layer was blue clay limestone, which is much softer. In 2013, Gatt's firm issued a report stating, "About 90% of the lower layer of rock has collapsed in the past 30 years."

Most of this weakening was caused by the very erosion that created the arch, Gatt told the Times of Malta. "Waves crashing against the cliff formed the striking window and they will also destroy it," he said.

At the time, though, he was hopeful.

"It is safe to say that the Azure Window is not facing any imminent collapse as was previously believed," Gatt said. "This still doesn't mean it will last forever - this is a process."

Last January, though, a large slab of the arch was lost to sea, battered by rough waves.

It didn't help matters that tourists regularly scrambled across it for photographs and striking views of the Mediterranean Sea. The European Commission report stated that human activity was causing such accelerated erosion that "Drastic action was essential to save this loved feature by the locals."

Last month, the Maltese government instituted $2,300 fines for anyone caught climbing on the arch. But by that point it was too late. All it would take was one strong storm to send the structure back to the sea - and that storm arrived Wednesday.</s>The most famous natural landmark in Malta—a limestone arch on the island of Gozo that framed the pristine waters of the Mediterranean beneath it—is no more. On Wednesday morning, after heavy storms, the 'Azure Window' as it was known, went crashing into the sea, leaving behind no trace of its former glory. It was, if the reaction on social media is anything to go by, a national tragedy of sorts, with both the Maltese prime minister and the opposition leader finding common ground in sadness.

A resident of the island, who was at the site of the landmark when it collapsed around 9:40 a.m. local time, told the Times of Malta, "There was a big raging sea beneath the window. Suddenly, the arch collapsed into the sea with a loud whoomph, throwing up a huge spray. By the time the spray had faded, the supporting stack had gone too."

A 2013 study of the arch concluded that erosion was inevitable, but that the 'Dwejra Window,' as it's also known, was not in any immediate danger of collapse. Still, the local government posted signs warning visitors from climbing on the structure and threatened trespassers with fines—something that, as the Times of Malta reported, proved to be an ineffective deterrent.

Besides attracting thousands of Instagram-hungry tourists every year, the 'Azure Window' has also been made famous by its appearance in a number of TV shows and films, including Clash of the Titans, the 2002 re-make of The Count of Monte Cristo, and most famously as the backdrop for the Dothraki wedding in HBO's Game of Thrones.

In a statement, the Gozo Tourism Association said, "The Azure Window’s demise should serve as an eye-opener to all concerned to look after and maintain and protect where possible, the touristic sites this little island has to offer." The association and residents who rely on tourism on the small Maltese island now can only hope that the smaller nearby arch, the Wied il-Mielah, will get its turn in the limelight.
The gigantic limestone natural arch Azure Window on the Maltese island of Gozo collapses due to a storm.