Msida ( mt, L-Imsida, it, Misida) is a harbour town in the Central Region of

Malta Malta ( , , ), officially the Republic of Malta ( mt, Repubblika ta' Malta ), is an island country in the Mediterranean Sea. It consists of an archipelago, between Italy and Libya, and is often considered a part of Southern Europe. It lies ...

with a population of 7, 623 (2021).

Location

The town is located just west of

Valletta Valletta (, mt, il-Belt Valletta, ) is an Local councils of Malta, administrative unit and capital city, capital of Malta. Located on the Malta (island), main island, between Marsamxett Harbour to the west and the Grand Harbour to the east, i ...

on the northeast coast of

. The neighbouring towns of Msida are

Ta' Xbiex Ta' Xbiex () is a locality and Local Council in the Central Region of Malta with a population of 2148 (estimated 2019) It is part of a small headland within the Marsamxett Harbour, right between the villages of Msida and Gżira. Etymology It ...

Gżira Gżira ( mt, Il-Gżira) is a town in the Central Region of Malta. It is located between Msida and Sliema, also bordering on Ta' Xbiex. It has a population of 8,029 as of March 2014. The word ''Gżira'' means "island" in Maltese, and the ...

San Ġwann San Ġwann is a town in the Central Region of Malta, with a population of 14,244 as of 2021. Previous to its separate administration the town used to form part of two separate localities being Birkirkara and St. Julian's. Places and monuments ...

Birkirkara Birkirkara (abbreviated as B'Kara) is a city in the central region of Malta. It is the second most populous on the island, with 24,356 inhabitants as of 2020. The town consists of five autonomous parishes: Saint Helen, Saint Joseph the Worker, Ou ...

, Santa Venera, Ħamrun and

Pietà The Pietà (; meaning "pity", "compassion") is a subject in Christian art depicting the Virgin Mary cradling the dead body of Jesus after his body was removed from the cross. It is most often found in sculpture. The Pietà is a specific form o ...

. Msida is an important town for all travellers as many of the country's bus routes pass through it.

Etymology

The name Msida is said to originate from an

Arabic Arabic (, ' ; , ' or ) is a Semitic languages, Semitic language spoken primarily across the Arab world.Semitic languages: an international handbook / edited by Stefan Weninger; in collaboration with Geoffrey Khan, Michael P. Streck, Janet C ...

word meaning "a fisherman's dwelling". However it could also be derived from the word 'Omm Sidna' meaning 'The Mother of Our Lord' since there could have been a small chapel dedicated to the

Blessed Virgin Mary Mary; arc, ܡܪܝܡ, translit=Mariam; ar, مريم, translit=Maryam; grc, Μαρία, translit=María; la, Maria; cop, Ⲙⲁⲣⲓⲁ, translit=Maria was a first-century Jews, Jewish woman of Nazareth, the wife of Saint Joseph, Jose ...

, Mother of God.

Church & Traditions

The patron saint of Msida is

Saint Joseph Joseph (; el, Ἰωσήφ, translit=Ioséph) was a 1st-century Jewish man of Nazareth who, according to the canonical Gospels, was married to Mary, the mother of Jesus, and was the legal father of Jesus. The Gospels also name some brothers of ...

while the protector is The Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary. For a week and a half every July, the town celebrates the feast of

St. Joseph Joseph (; el, Ἰωσήφ, translit=Ioséph) was a 1st-century Jewish man of Nazareth who, according to the canonical Gospels, was married to Mary, the mother of Jesus, and was the legal father of Jesus. The Gospels also name some brothers ...

. The feast of Msida is also famous for its pole climbing challenge called ''il-Ġostra.'' This traditiional competition sees a large number of men queing to climb a well greased pole in order to reach the top and collect a scarf as a winning sign. The pole is suspended above the sea which allows the many unsuccessful competitors to fall safely and swim back to shore. The two towns that organise il-Gostra regularly are Msida and St. Julians.

St. Joseph Church

Msida parish church, dedicated to ''San Ġużepp'' (St. Joseph) was built in 1889. Under the religious guidance of Bishop

Carmelo Scicluna Carmelo Scicluna (3 August 1800 – 12 July 1888) was a Maltese prelate and count who served as the Titular Archbishop of Rhodes and Bishop of Malta from 1875 till 1888. Archbishop Scicluna was born in Qormi on 3 August 1800. He was ordaine ...

and the main benefactor Mgr

Francesco Falzon Debono Francesco, the Italian (and original) version of the personal name " Francis", is the most common given name among males in Italy. Notable persons with that name include: People with the given name Francesco * Francesco I (disambiguation), sev ...

who contributed financially towards its building, the church was erected to replace the old church of the Immaculate Conception. The foundation stone was laid on 4 April 1886. The building was finalised by 1889 and the church was officially consecrated on 22 April 1984.

Architect Andrea Grima An architect is a person who plans, designs and oversees the construction of buildings. To practice architecture means to provide services in connection with the design of buildings and the space within the site surrounding the buildings that h ...

was responsible for the plans, their execution, and all works involved to build the church.

Notable Places

Msida is situated right on the coastal creek. Walking along the coast one can see various marinas, boat slipways as well as many locals fishing from shore, Msida became a parish in 1867. Then the settlement was centered on the hovels located inward at Valley Road, and some nearby ancillary roads and pathways which led up to the quaint district of Villambrosa. This status did not last long however, as a new parish Ħamrun was hived off in 1881. Today the lowest part of Villambrosa Street remains a silent reminder of Msida's jurisdiction in this area. Msida would also eventually see parts of its territory lost to new parishes at Santa Venera in 1918,

in 1968 and

in 1969. Its population, which at one time numbered 11,500, thus also dwindled to a mere 6,000. However, the recent aforementioned demands as well as residential developments in the outlying suburb of

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 200 ...

, have now seen an increase to more than 7600 inhabitants. Today, Msida is a bustling university town and development has been centered on an increasing student population at the university as well as various new service industries that have sprung in this town in recent years. The city houses many university students, mostly Gozitans.

Geography

The lower part of Msida lies at the outlet of a

valley A valley is an elongated low area often running between Hill, hills or Mountain, mountains, which will typically contain a river or stream running from one end to the other. Most valleys are formed by erosion of the land surface by rivers ...

and is a fulcrum for heavy traffic going to Sliema,

and Mater Dei Hospital. When it rains, water rushes down towards the sea from surrounding cities at higher levels and often causes floods, bringing traffic to a halt in the area opposite the

Parish Church A parish church (or parochial church) in Christianity is the church which acts as the religious centre of a parish. In many parts of the world, especially in rural areas, the parish church may play a significant role in community activities, ...

dedicated to

. Msida also hosts an old rock hewn

chapel A chapel is a Christian place of prayer and worship that is usually relatively small. The term has several meanings. Firstly, smaller spaces inside a church that have their own altar are often called chapels; the Lady chapel is a common ty ...

dedicated to the Immaculate Conception, a rarity of its kind. Msida has also experienced a lot of reclamation from the sea. The town centre and surrounding areas which were located below sea-level were all reclaimed from the sea, after

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

. A new project which intends to catch more surface rainwater running should also considerably remedy a perennial flooding problem which affects this area as well as nearby towns.

Media

Msida host two local newspapers. The ''Leħen il-Misidjani'' ("The Voice of the Misidjani") is produced and edited by the local band club the Għaqda Melita Banda San Ġużepp Msida. The "Leħen il-Misidjani" gathers information on most of the communities, clubs and associations based in an around Msida. Another newspaper is the ''Id f'Id'' ("Hand in Hand"), produced by the Parish and the Għaqda Armar Msida. It contains information on church activities, religious activities in Msida and the Feasts.

University of Malta

The University of Malta is situated in a part of Msida known as Tal-Qroqq which rests on higher ground. Msida is also home to the Ġ.F. Abela Junior College and a State Nursing Home.

The IMO International Maritime Law Institute (IMLI)

IMLI was established in 1988 under an Agreement concluded between IMO and the Government of Malta. It commenced its first academic year in October 1989. Its campus is at the University of Malta.

Sports

Msida is home to Msida Saint-Joseph F.C., the local football team currently playing in the Second division of Malta. The team colours are Red and White. Msida also hosts the Msida Red Stars A.F.C, a local 7-a-side team which participates in the I.A.S.C (Inter Amateur Soccer Competition), and Msida Boċċi Klabb (Club), the local "boċċi" team.

Mater Dei Hospital

The Mater Dei Hospital is located in the outskirts of Msida. It was inaugurated by the prime minister of Malta Dr. Gonzi in June 2007 and has a total floor area of 232,000m² and approximately 8,000 rooms. It also houses a teaching facility for the University of Malta. The hospital has cost the Maltese people Lm 200,000,000, a considerable increase compared to its original estimate of Lm 83,000,000. It was intended to be a specialised centre but was eventually changed to a general hospital with a change in government.

Msida Marina

In the late 19th century, a floating British navy hydraulic dock was also planned at the central part of Msida close to where the

Torpedo A modern torpedo is an underwater ranged weapon launched above or below the water surface, self-propelled towards a target, and with an explosive warhead designed to detonate either on contact with or in proximity to the target. Historically, su ...

Depot used to stand. The plan was soon aborted but instead, this area would in later years experience a booming yacht marina service, which has been growing ever since, thanks to new incentive policies issued by the central government.

Msida Local Council

Current local council members are: *Margaret Baldacchino Cefai (Mayor, PL) *Alexander Sciberras (Vice-Mayor, PL) *Charles Selvaggi (PN) *Matthew Agius (PN) *Alan Abela Wadge (PN) *Maurice Agius (PN) *Emanuel Brincat (PL) *Romina Galea (PL) *Carmelo Bartolo k/a Lino (PL) Carmelo Bartolo k/a Lino (PL) was elected by default because he did not gather enough votes to be elected on a full quota.Msida Local Council Elections 2013
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Zones in Msida

*Misraħ il-Barrieri *Msida Yacht Marina *

*Tal-Qroqq *Il-Wied *Ta' Xmiexi *Ta' Sissla *Ta' Ziza *Tas-Salib *Tat-Tigan

Culture

Msida traditionally celebrates the Feast of

on the first Sunday after 16 July every year. The local football club is Msida St. Joseph F.C.

References

External links

Official Msida Local Council Website
{{Authority control Towns in Malta Local councils of Malta