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General Information
About
Birkirkara
Birkirkara
is situated in the central region of Malta.
Birkirkara is the largest
population centre on the Islands and has been so since the
Middle Ages. Birkirkara was listed as one of the original 12
medieval parishes in 1436. It continued to flourish until it
splintered into separate parishes. Today, the parish church is
still known as `Matrici' which means it is the mother of the
other neighbouring parishes. Another interesting church is the
old parish church dedicated to The Assumption. Most of
present-day Birkirkara is modern, though the town retains a
traditional core characterised by alleyways, narrow streets
and houses typical of small villages. The larger town houses
tend to be used as headquarters for band clubs or political
parties. A tiny garden separates the town's older area from
the new quarters. Here you can see one of the old
railway
stations on the commuter line that ran from Rabat to Valletta.
Apart from the churches, the oldest buildings in the town are
the windmills. One is a private residence, the other, at the
heart of the town, is an art gallery. Known locally as `Ta' Ganu' it hosts exhibitions by local and foreign artists.
Birkirkara
is also known for the large amount of rain that is gathered in
the village. Each time there is huge amount of rain B'Kara
would be flooded. This happens because this village was built
around a valley, from which rain water (from Naxxar and Attard)
passes. To overcome this problem the local council and the
government are going to demolish some buildings, which are
stopping water to flow to Msida. There are about six churches.
One of them is St Helena Basilica. It has got the largest
church bell in Malta. The main feast in B'Kara is celebrated
on the 18th August. B'Kara's feast is special because the
procession takes place in the morning rather then in the
evening. At the outskirts of B'Kara near Mriehel area one can
find the Aqueducts, which were constructed by Grand Master
Alof de Wignacourt to provide water for the new city -
Valletta. Up to 1931 Malta had its own railway lines that ran
from Valletta to Mdina. In B'Kara one can find a railway
station, which was used by that times. Although now it is
changed to a garden, it's a good idea to go and visit the
Old
Railway Station. Another mark of the old times in B'Kara is
the windmill. Windmills were used extensively but now they are
only something of the past.
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