Birkirkara
Encyclopedia
Birkirkara or B'Kara is a city of 25,858 inhabitants (as of November 2010) in central Malta
Malta
Malta , officially known as the Republic of Malta , is a Southern European country consisting of an archipelago situated in the centre of the Mediterranean, south of Sicily, east of Tunisia and north of Libya, with Gibraltar to the west and Alexandria to the east.Malta covers just over in...

. It is the most populated town on the island and consists of four autonomous parishes: St Helen, St Joseph, Our Lady of Mount Carmel and St Mary. It also houses one of the most famous colleges in Malta, St Aloysius' College. Birkirkara is the home town of Ex-President Edward Fenech Adami and former Opposition Leader Alfred Sant
Alfred Sant
Alfred Sant is a Maltese politician. He led the Labour Party from 1992 to 2008 and served as Prime Minister of Malta between 1996 and 1998 and as Leader of the Opposition from 1992 to 1996 and from 1998 to 2008....

 and also the birth place of the first president of Malta Anthony Mamo
Anthony Mamo
Sir Anthony Joseph Mamo, OBE, QC was the first President of Malta and previously served as the last Governor-General, representing Elizabeth II as Queen of Malta, when the country was a Commonwealth realm...

.

The city's motto is "In hoc signo vinces
In hoc signo vinces
In hoc signo vinces is a Latin rendering of the Greek phrase "" en touto nika, and means "in this sign you will conquer"....

", and its coat of arms is a plain red cross, surmounted by a crown.

Description

There are many places of interest in Birkirkara, amongst them the Old Railway Station which is today located within a public garden.

Trains were used as means of transportation across the island until the Railway's closure in 1931. Other town features include the aqueducts built by Grandmaster Wignacourt
Alof de Wignacourt
Fra' Alof de Wignacourt was the 54th Grand Master of the Order of Malta, from 1601 to 1622. He was of the langue of France. His reign was notable for the construction of a number of coastal fortifications , and of the aqueduct that brought water from the plateau above Rabat to Valletta...

 in the 17th Century and St Helen's basilica, one of the most beautiful churches on the Maltese islands, housing Malta's largest church bell. Birkirkara is one of Malta's oldest towns and received mention in the 1436 Ecclesiastical Report mentioning the then existing parishes in Malta and Gozo, from which Birkirkara emerged as the largest parish. Various parishes and suburbs developed out of Birkirkara over the years, including Sliema
Sliema
Tas-Sliema is a city located on the northeast coast of Malta. It is a centre for shopping, restaurants and café life. Tas-Sliema is also a major commercial and residential area and houses several of Malta's most modern hotels. Tas-Sliema, which means 'peace, comfort', was once a quiet fishing...

, St. Julian's
St. Julian's
St Julian's is a town in Malta situated along the coast, north of the country's capital, Valletta. It is known for tourism-oriented businesses, such as hotels, restaurants and nightclubs, centred mostly in an area known as Paceville.-General:...

, Msida
Msida
Msida or Imsida is a harbour town in Malta with a population of 7,623 . The town is located just west of Valletta on the northeast coast of Malta. The town enjoys a Mediterranean climate with hot, dry, sunny summers and short, cool winters.The neighbouring towns of Msida are Ta' Xbiex, Gzira, San...

, Hamrun
Hamrun
Ħamrun is a town in the Inner Harbour Region of Malta, with a population of 8,800 people .The villagers are traditionally known as Tas-Sikkina or as Ta' Werwer...

 in the 19th century and Santa Venera
Santa Venera
Santa Venera is a town in Malta, with a population of around 6,800 . This settlement is found in the Outer Harbour Region of Malta. The oldest buildings in Santa Venera are Wignacourt Aqueduct and Casa Leoni, both of which were built by the Knights of St. John.A new church has been built recently...

 in the early 20th century. In more recent years, San Gwann
San Gwann
-History:The San Ġwann suburb is mostly made up of relatively modern buildings having been established as a parish only in 1965. However, the few scattered archeological remains found in the region suggest that San Ġwann has an ancient history which is woven into the national history of Malta.The...

 (1965) and the hamlet of Ta' l-Ibraġ hived off Birkirkara to form part of the new parish and locality of Swieqi
Swieqi
Is-Swieqi is a municipality and town in northeastern Malta. It is a residential area just 15 minutes by bus from Tas-Sliema and within striking distance of Malta's nightlife and entertainment centres, Paceville and St. Julian's. As Is-Swieqi developed, its residential estates took over farmland...

 in 1993.

Birkirkara's main religious
Roman Catholic Church
The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the world's largest Christian church, with over a billion members. Led by the Pope, it defines its mission as spreading the gospel of Jesus Christ, administering the sacraments and exercising charity...

 feast is that of St Helen which is celebrated on 18 August if it falls on a Sunday, or on the first Sunday after that date. The main event of the celebration is a procession with a large wooden statue carved by the Maltese master-sculptor Salvu Psaila. Notably, this is the only procession (with a titular statue) on the island carried out in the morning. The procession leaves the basilica at exactly 8:00 a.m. and returns to it at 10:45 a.m. The statue is lifted to shoulder-height by a group of townsmen and is carried through the main streets of the town.

Birkirkara has grown into an important commercial centre as well as a densely populated residential area.

Birkirkara Local Council

The current Birkirkara local council members are:
  • Michael Fenech Adami (mayor, PN)
  • Phillip Camilleri (PL)
  • Emanuel Aquilina (PL)
  • Rita Borg (PL)
  • Doris Bonavia (PN)
  • George Debattista (PN)
  • Anthony Buttigieg (PL)
  • Chirelle Sciberras (PL)
  • Mark G. Abdilla (PN)
  • Josianne Cardona Gatt (PN)
  • Rose Frendo (PN)
  • John Borg (PN)
  • Jimmy Calleja (PL)

Birkirkara Community Service

  • Our Lady of Mount Carmel Parish Church, Triq Fleur-de-Lys (Fleur-de-Lys Road), Fleur-de-Lys
  • Our Lady, Mother of the Church Parish Church, Triq il-Graffiti Navali, Swatar
  • St. Joseph the Worker Parish Church, Triq il-Bwieraq (Bwieraq Street)
  • St. Helen's Parish Church, Triq is-Santwarju (Sanctuary Street)
  • St. Mary's Parish Church, Triq il-Knisja l-Qadima (Old Church Street)
  • Our Lady of Victory Parish Church, Triq il-Vitorja (Victory Street)
  • Birkirkara Local Council, Triq Tumas Fenech (Thomas Fenech Street)
  • Birkirkara District Police Station, Triq il-Kbira (Main Street)
  • Birkirkara Malta Labour Party Club, Triq Fleur-de-Lys (Fleur-de-Lys Road)
  • Birkirkara Partit Nazzjonalista Club, Triq Fleur-de-Lys (Fleur-de-Lys Road)
  • Birkirkara Branch Post Office, Triq il-Wied (Valley Road)
    • Birkirkara Sub-Post Offices at: Triq Mannarino (Mannarino Road); Triq Tumas Fenech (Thomas Fenech Street); and Triq L. Casolani (L. Casolani Street)
  • Da Vinci Hospital, Triq Kan. K. Pirotta (Can. K. Pirotta Street)
  • Birkirkara Health Centre, Triq Tumas Fenech
  • Birkirkara Regional Library, Triq Tumas Fenech

Zones in Birkirkara

  • Bwieraq
  • Fleur-De-Lys
  • Għar il-Ġobon
  • Laqxija
  • Mrieħel
  • Ta' Fuq il-Wied
  • Ta' Gannus
  • Ta' Ganu
  • Ta' Paris
  • Tal-Brieqex
  • Tal-Maħlut
  • Tal-Qattus
  • Tas-Salib

External links

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