▁s urn ames <0x0A> </s> ▁Ta ' ▁ <0xC4> <0x8A> ied a ▁Tower , ▁also ▁known ▁as ▁San ▁ Ġ w ann ▁Roman ▁Tower , ▁is ▁a ▁P unic - R oman ▁tower ▁in ▁San ▁ Ġ w ann , ▁Mal ta . ▁The ▁exact ▁orig ins ▁of ▁the ▁tower ▁could ▁date ▁back ▁to ▁pre - history ▁with ▁different ▁architecture . ▁It ▁is ▁argued ▁that ▁the ▁tower ▁could ▁be ▁of ▁P unic ▁orig ins ▁rather ▁than ▁Roman ▁but ▁the ▁latter ▁have ▁adapted ▁it . ▁The ▁site ▁of ▁the ▁tower ▁was ▁used ▁as ▁a ▁c emetery , ▁or ▁more , ▁during ▁the ▁Muslim ▁cal i ph ate ▁in ▁the ▁medieval ▁times . ▁Following ▁the ▁exp ulsion ▁of ▁the ▁Muslim s ▁in ▁Mal ta ▁a ▁church ▁dedicated ▁to ▁St . ▁Helen ▁was ▁built ▁on ▁the ▁site . ▁ ▁Today ▁roughly ▁one - third ▁of ▁the ▁tower ▁still ▁stands ▁and ▁is ▁neglect ed . ▁The ▁tower ▁is ▁one ▁of ▁a ▁chain ▁of ▁to wers ▁that ▁were ▁built ▁at ▁their ▁time , ▁probably ▁designed ▁to ▁aid ▁each ▁other ▁from ▁invasion ▁coming ▁from ▁the ▁sea . ▁E ight ▁coast al ▁to wers ▁are ▁believed ▁to ▁have ▁existed ▁in ▁Mal ta ▁and ▁none ▁on ▁the ▁nearby ▁island ▁of ▁G oz o ; ▁six ▁of ▁which ▁are ▁known ▁as ▁the ▁P unic - R oman ▁to wers . ▁The ▁remains ▁of ▁rural ▁villa , ▁consisting ▁of ▁a ▁c is tern ▁and ▁Roman ▁wall , ▁are ▁found ▁close ▁by . ▁ ▁Name ▁The ▁name ▁Ta ' ▁C ied a ▁was ▁given