Birkirkara, Malta
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Birkirkara (abbreviated as B'Kara or BKR) is a city in the
Eastern Region Eastern Region or East Region may refer to: * Eastern Region (Abu Dhabi): Al Ain *Eastern Region, Ghana *Eastern Region (Iceland) *Eastern Region, Malta *Eastern Region, Nepal *Eastern Region, Nigeria * Eastern Region, Serbia *Eastern Region, Ugand ...
of
Malta Malta, officially the Republic of Malta, is an island country in Southern Europe located in the Mediterranean Sea, between Sicily and North Africa. It consists of an archipelago south of Italy, east of Tunisia, and north of Libya. The two ...
. It is the second most populous on the
island An island or isle is a piece of land, distinct from a continent, completely surrounded by water. There are continental islands, which were formed by being split from a continent by plate tectonics, and oceanic islands, which have never been ...
, with 24,356 inhabitants as of 2020. The town consists of five autonomous parishes: Saint Helen, Saint Joseph the Worker, Our Lady of Mount Carmel,
Saint Mary Mary was a first-century Jewish woman of Nazareth, the wife of Saint Joseph, Joseph and the mother of Jesus. She is an important figure of Christianity, venerated under titles of Mary, mother of Jesus, various titles such as Perpetual virginity ...
and San Gorg Preca. The city's motto is ''
In hoc signo vinces "" is a Latin phrase conventionally translated into English as "In this sign thou shalt conquer", often also being translated as "By and/or in this sign, conquer". The Latin phrase itself renders, rather loosely, the Greek phrase "", translit ...
'', and its coat of arms is a plain red cross, surmounted by a crown.


Etymology

''Birkirkara'' means "cold water" or "running water". This is attributed to the valley in the town. Originally, the name was written as ''Birchircara'', as influenced by
Italian spelling Italian orthography (the conventions used in writing Italian) uses the Latin alphabet to write the Italian language. This article focuses on the writing of Standard Italian, based historically on the Florentine variety of Tuscan. Written It ...
which traditionally does not use the letter 'K'. It is often abbreviated as ''B'kara/Kara''.


Geography

Birkirkara is situated in a valley, which is most likely where it gets its name from. It is known for flooding on heavy stormy days. Several projects have been proposed. The area has also received embellishment works from time to time.


Climate

Birkirkara features a Csa Mediterranean climate under the
Köppen climate classification The Köppen climate classification divides Earth climates into five main climate groups, with each group being divided based on patterns of seasonal precipitation and temperature. The five main groups are ''A'' (tropical), ''B'' (arid), ''C'' (te ...
. Birkirkara features mild, wet winters and dry hot summers. The city's temperature varies from during the course of a year.


Description

Birkirkara is one of Malta's oldest towns with a recorded mention in 1402 with The Cappella of Birkarkam which is understood to be an error for Birkirkara. It 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 ( ) is a town located on the northeast coast of Malta in the Districts of Malta#Northern Harbour District, Northern Harbour District. It is a major residential and commercial area and a centre for shopping, bars, dining, and café life. ...
,
St. Julian's Saint Julian's () is a town in the Eastern Region of Malta. As of 2020, its registered number of inhabitants stands at 13,792. It is situated along the coast, north of the country's capital, Valletta. It is known for tourism-oriented businesse ...
,
Msida Msida (, ) is a harbour town in the Eastern Region, Malta, Eastern Region of Malta with a population of 7,623 (2021). Location The town is located just west of Valletta on the northeast coast of Malta. The neighbouring towns of Msida are Ta' ...
,
Ħamrun Hamrun ( ) is a town in the Southern Region, Malta, Southern Region of Malta, with a population of 9,244 as of March 2014. The people The townspeople are traditionally known as ''Tas-Sikkina'' (literally meaning 'of the knife' or 'those who ca ...
in the 19th century and
Santa Venera Santa Venera is a town in the Southern Region, Malta, Southern Region of Malta, with a population of 8,834 (2021). It is located between the towns of Birkirkara and Ħamrun, and also borders Qormi and Msida. History The Old Church of Santa Ven ...
in the early 20th century. In more recent years,
San Ġwann San Ġwann () is a town in the Northern Region of Malta, with a population of 14,244 as of 2021. Prior to its establishment as a distinct municipality, it was a fragmented community comprising parts of Birkirkara and St. Julian's. San Ġwann e ...
(1965) and
Ta' l-Ibraġ Taw, tav, or taf is the twenty-second and last letter of the Semitic abjads, including Arabic ''tāʾ'' , Aramaic ''taw'' 𐡕‎, Hebrew ''tav'' , Phoenician ''tāw'' 𐤕, and Syriac ''taw'' ܬ. In Arabic, it also gives rise to the derived l ...
hived off Birkirkara to form part of the new parish and locality of
Swieqi Swieqi () is a town in the Eastern Region of Malta. It is a residential area just 15 minutes by bus from Sliema and within walking distance of Malta's nightlife and entertainment centres, Paceville and St. Julian's. As the town developed, re ...
in 1993. Birkirkara has grown into an important commercial centre as well as a densely populated residential area.


Churches, architecture and notable places


Notable places

Birkirkara is home to many locations of importance. *
Malta Financial Services Authority The Malta Financial Services Authority (MFSA) is the main Financial regulation, financial regulator of Malta. The MFSA was founded in 2002 when it assumed the responsibilities of the Central Bank of Malta, the Malta Stock Exchange, and the Malta ...
the financial regulator of Malta has its headquarters in Birkirkara. * St Aloysius College * The
Wignacourt Aqueduct The Wignacourt Aqueduct () is a 17th-century Aqueduct (water supply), aqueduct in Malta, which was built by the Knights Hospitaller, Order of Saint John to carry water from springs in Dingli and Rabat, Malta, Rabat to the newly built capital ci ...
built in the 17th century. *
St Helen's Basilica St Helen's Basilica () is an 18th-century Roman Catholic church situated in Birkirkara, Malta. It is built on the baroque design by Salvu Borg and built by Mason Domenico Cachia. The design was inspired by, and is similar to, the Mdina Cathedral ...
, housing Malta's largest church bell. *
Simonds Farsons Cisk Simonds Farsons Cisk plc, commonly known as Farsons, is a Maltese food and beverage conglomerate whose businesses include the brewing, sale and distribution of beer and soft drinks; importation, wholesale and retail of food and beverages; opera ...
- the first brewery on the Island. * Dar Pirotta * Dar Papa Frangisku - A homeless shelter run by
Caritas Malta Caritas Malta is a not-for-profit social welfare organisation in Malta. It is a service of the Catholic Church in Malta and a member of both Caritas Europa and Caritas Internationalis. History Caritas Malta was formally founded in 1968 at the ...
* Villa Chelsea now home to The Richmond Foundation - A Charity offering Rehabilitation Programmes. * The Old
Birkirkara Railway Station Birkirkara (abbreviated as B'Kara or BKR) is a city in the Eastern Region, Malta, Eastern Region of Malta. It is the second most populous on the Malta (island), island, with 24,356 inhabitants as of 2020. The town consists of five autonomous pari ...
which is today located within a public garden is one such place.
Malta Railway The Malta Railway () was the only railway line ever on the island of Malta, and it consisted of a single railway line from Valletta to Mdina. It was a Single track (rail), single-track line in Metre gauge railway, metre gauge, operating from 1883 ...
trains used as means of transportation across the island stopped at this Station. The Railway was closed in 1931. *
Roxy Cinema Roxy Cinema may refer to: * Roxy Cinema (Kolkata) Roxy Cinema is a single screen cinema hall located in Esplanade Metro, Chowringhee Place, Dharmatala, Kolkata, West Bengal, India. History Roxy Cinema started as an Opera House. In early 1940 ...
* Birkirkara Tower (Ghar il-Gobon) * Tal-Wejter Tower *
Villa Lauri Villa Lauri is an early 20th-century Neoclassical architecture, Neoclassical townhouse in Birkirkara, Malta. The villa was built as a private family residence. Part of the property is privately owned, while most of it belongs to the Roman Catholic ...
* Ta' Ganu Windmill


Churches

Birkirkara's main
religious Religion is a range of social- cultural systems, including designated behaviors and practices, morals, beliefs, worldviews, texts, sanctified places, prophecies, ethics, or organizations, that generally relate humanity to supernatural ...
feast is that of St Helen at St. Helen's Basilica, which is celebrated on 18 August or on the first Sunday after that date. The main event of the celebration is a procession with a wooden statue carved by the Maltese master-sculptor Salvu Psaila. Notably, this is the only procession 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 am. The statue is lifted to shoulder-height by a group of townsmen through the main streets of the town. * The Church of St. Joseph the Worker * The Church of St. Mary * The Church of San Gorg Preca * The Church of Our Lady of Mount Carmel * The Church of St Paul B'kara had a previous building on the same site likely to date back to around 1538. Its design was medieval with a slanting roof. The present building known as '''San Pawl tal-Wied''' was built in 1852 to 1854 on plans drawn up by
Giuseppe Bonavia Giuseppe Bonavia (1821 – 2 September 1885) was a Maltese draughtsman and architect who was mainly active in the second half of the 19th century. Born in Valletta, he was initially a clerk of works with the Royal Engineers, before becoming the H ...
who was an architect with the Royal Engineers. The clock of the church was made by Michelangelo Sapiano in 1891. The titular painting by
Giuseppe Calleja Giuseppe is the Italian form of the given name Joseph, from Latin Iōsēphus from Ancient Greek Ἰωσήφ (Iōsḗph), from Hebrew יוסף. The feminine form of the name is Giuseppa or Giuseppina. People with the given name include: :''Note ...
is a reproduction of the original found in the
Tre Fontane Tre Fontane Abbey (; ), or the Abbey of Saints Vincent and Anastasius, is a Roman Catholic abbey in Rome, held by monks of the Cistercian Order of the Strict Observance, better known as Trappists. It is known for raising the lambs whose wool is u ...
Church in Rome. The Church of Our Lady of Victories is a small church found within the narrow streets in the area known as 'Has-Sajjied'. This church was known to have existed as far back as 1575. In the 17th century when the parish church was being built, this church was dismantled to allow easy access to the quarry that was supplying the stones needed. It was erected once again after the 1675–1676 Malta plague epidemic. The present church was built between 1728 and 1736 in the
Baroque The Baroque ( , , ) is a Western Style (visual arts), style of Baroque architecture, architecture, Baroque music, music, Baroque dance, dance, Baroque painting, painting, Baroque sculpture, sculpture, poetry, and other arts that flourished from ...
style. The internal pilasters follow the Tuscan style with the dome featuring floral motifs and emblems of the
Litany of the Blessed Virgin Mary The Litany of the Blessed Virgin Mary is a Marian litany originally approved in 1587 by Pope Sixtus V. It is also known as the Litany of Loreto (Latin: ''Litaniae lauretanae''), after its first-known place of origin, the Shrine of Our Lady of ...
.


Monuments

* Monument of Sir Anthony Mamo * Niche of All Souls


Birkirkara Local Council

The Birkirkara Local Council forms part of the Birkirkara Civice Centre building. The current Birkirkara local council members are: *Joanne Debono Grech (Mayor) *Karl Cutajar (Deputy Mayor) *Justin Schembri *Nancy Aquilina *Rita Borg *Kaylocke Buhagiar *Antoine Attard *Owen Patrick Attard *John Mary Calleja *Deborah Mifsud *John Mizzi *Marie Claire Zammit Bonello *Francis Pullicino *Carmel Attard (Executive Secretary)


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 Swatar, colloquially known as Is-Swatar and Tas-Swatar, is a hamlet in Malta situated in Birkirkara and in Msida. In 2015 it had a population of over 5,100 people, with around 1,600 families. Swatar has its own separate parish since 8 November 20 ...
*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 District Police Station, Triq il-Kbira (Main Street) *Birkirkara Branch Post Office, Triq il-Wied (Valley Road *Da Vinci Hospital, Triq Kan. K. Pirotta (Can. K. Pirotta Street) *Birkirkara Health Centre, Triq Tumas Fenech *Birkirkara Regional Library, Triq Tumas Fenech *Birkirkara Police Station


Zones in Birkirkara

* Bwieraq *
Fleur-de-Lys The ''fleur-de-lis'', also spelled ''fleur-de-lys'' (plural ''fleurs-de-lis'' or ''fleurs-de-lys''), is a common heraldic charge in the (stylized) shape of a lily (in French, and mean and respectively). Most notably, the ''fleur-de-lis'' ...
* L-Imrieħel *
Ta' Ganu Taw, tav, or taf is the twenty-second and last letter of the Semitic abjads, including Arabic ''tāʾ'' , Aramaic ''taw'' 𐡕‎, Hebrew ''tav'' , Phoenician ''tāw'' 𐤕, and Syriac ''taw'' ܬ. In Arabic, it also gives rise to the derived l ...
*
Ta' Paris Taw, tav, or taf is the twenty-second and last letter of the Semitic abjads, including Arabic ''tāʾ'' , Aramaic ''taw'' 𐡕‎, Hebrew ''tav'' , Phoenician ''tāw'' 𐤕, and Syriac ''taw'' ܬ. In Arabic, it also gives rise to the derived ...
* Tal-Qattus * Is-Swatar * Ħas-Sajjied


Sport

Birkirkara has a
multi-sport club A sports club or sporting club, sometimes an athletics club or sports society or sports association, is a group of people formed for the purpose of playing sports. Sports clubs range from organisations whose members play together, unpaid, and ...
in Birkirkara Saint Joseph Sports Club, mostly known for its Athletics section. However, it also has active sections responsible for cycling,
triathlon A triathlon is an endurance multisport race consisting of Swimming (sport), swimming, Cycle sport, cycling, and running over various distances. Triathletes compete for fastest overall completion time, racing each segment sequentially with the ...
, swimming, and
football Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kick (football), kicking a football (ball), ball to score a goal (sports), goal. Unqualified, football (word), the word ''football'' generally means the form of football t ...
, the last of which competes in the Maltese Inter-Amateur Soccer Competition.
Birkirkara F.C. Birkirkara Football Club is a professional football club based in the town of Birkirkara, on the island of Malta. The club was formed in 1950, following the amalgamation of Birkirkara United and Birkirkara Celtic. Birkirkara currently play in t ...
has won the
Maltese Premier League The Maltese Premier League, known as 360Sports Malta Premier for sponsorship reasons with 360Sports (colloquialism, colloquially known as ''Il-Kampjonat Premjer''), is the highest level of professional football in Malta. Managed by the Malta Foot ...
four times. Birkirkara F.C. participated in the
2015–16 UEFA Europa League The 2015–16 UEFA Europa League was the 45th season of Europe's secondary club football tournament organised by UEFA, and the seventh season since it was renamed from the UEFA Cup to the UEFA Europa League. The final was played between Liverpoo ...
beating
West Ham United F.C. West Ham United Football Club is a professional football club based in Stratford, East London, England. The club competes in the Premier League, the top tier of English football. The club plays at the London Stadium, having moved from their ...
, only to be eliminated via penalties. Birkirkara also eliminated Heart of Midlothian in the
2016–17 UEFA Europa League The 2016–17 UEFA Europa League was the 46th season of Europe's secondary club football tournament organised by UEFA, and the eighth season since it was renamed from the UEFA Cup to the UEFA Europa League. The final was played between Ajax and ...
. Malta's leader of the opposition Adrian Delia served as Birkirkara F.C. president from 2015-2016 and 2017-2018.


Natives

Iacob Heraclid Iacob Heraclid (or Eraclid; ; 1527 – November 5, 1563), born Basilicò and also known as Iacobus Heraclides, Heraclid Despotul, or Despot Vodă ("The Voivode Despot"), was a Greeks in Malta, Greek Maltese soldier, adventurer and intellectual, ...
, the Greco-Maltese adventurer who ruled over
Moldavia Moldavia (, or ; in Romanian Cyrillic alphabet, Romanian Cyrillic: or ) is a historical region and former principality in Eastern Europe, corresponding to the territory between the Eastern Carpathians and the Dniester River. An initially in ...
in the 1560s, was born in the city.
Eddie Fenech Adami Edoardo "Eddie" Fenech Adami (born 7 February 1934) is a Malta, Maltese and Nationalist Party (Malta), Nationalist politician who served as the prime minister of Malta from 1987 until 1996, and again from 1998 until 2004. Subsequently, he was t ...
, who served as Prime Minister and President of Malta, was born there, as was
Anthony Mamo Sir Anthony Joseph Mamo, (9 January 1909 – 1 May 2008) was the first president of Malta and previously served as the last Governor-General of the State of Malta before the country became a republic. He was also the first Maltese citizen ...
, the first President of Malta.


Twin towns – sister cities

Birkirkara is twinned with: *
Grosseto Grosseto () is a city and a ''comune'' in the central Italian region of Tuscany, the capital of the province of Grosseto and the main city of the Maremma region. The city lies from the Tyrrhenian Sea, at the centre of an alluvial plain on the ...
, Italy *
Sorrento Sorrento ( , ; ; ) is a City status in Italy, city and overlooking the Gulf of Naples, Bay of Naples in Southern Italy. A popular tourist destination, Sorrento is located on the Sorrentine Peninsula at the southern terminus of a main branch o ...
, Italy * Longobardi, Italy *
Carbonne Carbonne (; ) is a commune in the Haute-Garonne department in southwestern France. Geography The A64 autoroute passes near the village. Carbonne station on the Toulouse–Bayonne railway has rail connections to Toulouse, Pau and Tarbes. It ...
, France


References


External links


Birkirkara Football ClubBirkirkara St. Joseph Sports ClubBirkirkara Local Council
{{Authority control Towns in Malta Local councils of Malta