Qala () is an administrative unit of Malta, on the island of Gozo, with a population of 1,929 as of September 2019. Nearby is Ħondoq ir-Rummien, a coastline with salt pans and caves. Etymology The name Qala derives from Siculo-Arabic. About the town Qala is first referred to in a fifteenth-century portolan in the Vatican Library. Its name refers to the ('port') of . It is the easternmost village of Gozo. The development of the present settlement began in the second half of the seventeenth century. Except for a few sheltered inlets like Ħondoq ir-Rummien, Qala's coastline is largely rugged. Sea caves along the coast include Għar Minka, which is accessible only by boat. Qala is located at the easternmost point of Gozo, and is the village furthest from the capital Victoria and closest to the rest of the Maltese archipelago. Its name is both Arabic and Maltese for sheltered haven or bay, and its coat of arms is a Gozo boat sailing on rough seas. The village parish church is dedicated to Saint Joseph, and was built by Dun Guzepp Diacono between 1882 and 1889. Its style is baroque like many other churches on the island. Qala became a parish on 3 February 1872, and until 1889 the parish church was that of the Immaculate Conception of Our Lady. The foundation stone of the parish of Saint Joseph was laid on 19 March 1882 and the church consecrated on 8 May 1904. Sites of historical interest in and around Qala include the salt pans, a well-preserved windmill and prehistoric remains. One can find examples of cart ruts, (parallel tracks cut into the rock) which extend over and are some of the longest on Gozo. Places of interest St. Joseph Parish Church The village parish church is dedicated to St Joseph. It was built by the same architect-priest who built the church of Għasri, Dun Guzepp Diacono, between 1882 and 1889, when he was serving as parish priest of Qala. It is built in baroque, for many churches on the island, whether built in the seventeenth or in the latter half of the twentieth century, were constructed in this style. Qala became a parish on 3 February 1872, the first to be established after the establishment of the Diocese of Gozo. Until 1889, the seat of the parish church was the church of the Immaculate Conception of Our Lady. The