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Mġarr

Coordinates: 35°55′11″N 14°21′59″E / 35.91972°N 14.36639°E / 35.91972; 14.36639
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For other uses, see Mġarr (disambiguation).

Mġarr
L-Imġarr
Local council (Kunsill Lokali)
View of Mġarr
View of Mġarr
Flag of Mġarr
Flag
Coat of arms of Mġarr
Coat of arms
Motto(s): 
Raħal żgħir b'qalb kbira
(A small town with a caring heart)
Coordinates: 35°55′11″N 14°21′59″E / 35.91972°N 14.36639°E / 35.91972; 14.36639
Country Malta
RegionNorthern Region
DistrictNorthern District
BordersMellieħa, Mosta, Rabat, St. Paul's Bay
Government
 • MayorPaul Vella (PN)
Area
 • Total16.1 km2 (6.2 sq mi)
Population
 (Jan. 2019)
 • Total3,802
 • Density240/km2 (610/sq mi)
Demonym(s)Mġarri (m), Mġarrija (f), Mġarrin (pl)
Time zoneUTC+1 (CET)
 • Summer (DST)UTC+2 (CEST)
Postal code
MGR
Dialing code356
ISO 3166 codeMT-31
Patron saintSt. Mary
Day of festa1st Sunday after 15 August
WebsiteOfficial website

Mġarr (Maltese: L-Imġarr), formerly known as Mgiarro, is a village in the Northern Region of Malta. Mġarr is a rural village, isolated from nearby towns and cities. Mġarr lies west of Mosta and is surrounded by farmland and vineyards. Many of the 4,840[1] Mġarrin are farmers or otherwise engaged in agricultural activity.

History

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Prehistory

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The Ta' Skorba Temples are the earliest remains of human occupation in Mġarr, dating back to the Neolithic Għar Dalam phase of Maltese Prehistory. It is believed that they settled in Mġarr because of the fields, hills and water streams.[2] Skorba was excavated in the early 1960s[3].

The Ta' Ħaġrat Temples was built in two phases. The minor Saflieni Phase temple can be entered from the major temple, and was built by smaller rocks. The Ġgantija Phase temple consisted of the rest of the temple, including the majestic entrance.[4] These temples were discovered in 1917 and excavated between 1923 and 1926 by Sir Temi Zammit. The site was again excavated in 1954 and in 1961. [5]

Punic and Roman Rule

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Punic Tombs are found scattered around Mġarr, including in Abbatija and near Skorba. These prove that human occupation in Mġarr lasted till around the last century BC. [6]Around 33 Punic Tombs have been found in Mġarr. [7]

The Binġemma Tombs, known as Għerien il-Lhud (English: Jewish Caves) are dug into the Dwejra Hill. These have suffered considerable damage since the cave was used as a dwelling, to house animals and as a war shelter. There are various speculations about what these tombs were for. The Catacombs in Tar-Ragħad show the standing of early Roman Catholics in Malta.

The Roman Villa in Ras ir-Raħeb was apparently used as a site for sacred rites. The Roman Baths nearby were erected approximately during the 1st or 2nd century AD. Various rooms including for hot baths, cold baths and relaxation were found. Rooms seem to have been added to be used for recreation.

From the 4th century onwards, there is no concrete proof of what happened in the Mġarr area. During the Arab period, it can only be assumed that small settlements might have persisted in areas like tan-Nadur, ta' Binġemma and tas-Santi, since they were concealed by the hills. [8]

Norman and Hospitaller Rule

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Once the Normans conquered Malta and gradually gained full control of it, commerce in the Fomm ir-Riħ, Ġnejna, and Għajn Tuffieħa ports rose. Cotton, cumin and wineyards were also grown to generate income. Ever since 1419, watchmen were assigned to ensure that products were not stolen or looted. Parts of Binġemma and Santi during these times were sold as feudal lands.[9]

Mġarr also played a role in the Great Siege of Malta. The Ottoman invading army, led by Mustafa Pasha anchored their ships in Mġarr.[10] Men from Mġarr also formed part of the Naxxar Dejma Company. [11]

French, British and Maltese Rule

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Churches

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Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary Parish Church

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It was only at the beginning of the 20th century that Mġarr built its parish and the church was fully completed. The church has one of the largest domes in the world,[citation needed] just behind the church of Mosta. The unique shape, that of an oval dome, is attributed to the extensive funds raised from the sale of more than 300,000 eggs.[citation needed]

The parish church of the Assumption of St. Mary is a miniature copy of the Mosta Dome. Its construction began in 1912 and depended on voluntary work and the generous contributions obtained by parishioners from the sale of agricultural products. Despite efforts to speed up the work, the church was not completed until 1946.

The church is situated on elevated ground, offering a panoramic view of the surrounding fields and hills. In Mġarr, numerous houses still encompass the narrow streets surrounding the church, while modern buildings and homeownership have recently become new additions to the village.

Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary (Old Chapel)

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St Anne Church, Żebbiegħ

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Chapel of Our Lady of Itria, Binġemma

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Defunct Chapels

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Education

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Saint Nicholas College, Mġarr Primary School

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The Mġarr Primary School was opened on the 19th of September 1923. Prior to its opening, only 1% of the population were literate in English and/or Italian, and only 4% were literate in Maltese. Fr Edgar Salomone worked hard and managed to influence the members of the newly elected Self Government in favour of the primary school. In 1946, Mġarr had the highest rate of school attendance.[12]

Eventually, the school expanded and built new classes to accomodate the growth in the student population. It also joined the Saint Nicholas College network of Schools.

San Andrea School

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San Andrea School is a private school located in Mġarr.[13] The school was founded in 1992 in Naxxar. It was founded by the Parents Foundation of Education, who also founded San Anton School.

San Anton School

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San Anton School is a private school located in Mġarr.[14] The school was founded in 1988 in the village of Attard, close to the President's San Anton Palace, giving the school its name.[15]

Zones in Mġarr

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Mġarr is not split into official zones, however the following zones are widely accepted as the main subdivisions of the town. [16]

  • Binġemma
  • Fomm ir-Riħ
  • Għajn Tuffieħa
  • Il-Ballut
  • Il-Ġnejna
  • Is-Santi
  • L-Imġarr ta' Barra
  • L-Imġarr ta' Ġewwa
  • L-Iskirvit
  • L-Isqorba
  • Ta' l-Abbatija
  • Ta' Mrejnu
  • Ta' Tewma
  • Tar-Ragħad
  • Iż-Żebbiegħ

Notable people

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Twin towns – sister cities

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See also: List of twin towns and sister cities in Malta

Mġarr is twinned with:[17]

References

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  1. ^ "Census of Population and Housing 2021: Preliminary Report". nso.gov.mt. Retrieved 7 December 2022.
  2. ^ Deguara, Alwiġ (1999). L-Imġarr - Il-Ħajja u l-Ħidma ta' Niesu mill-Qedem sa llum. p. 35-36. ISBN 99909-84-09-3.
  3. ^ "Skorba Prehistoric Site". Heritage Malta.
  4. ^ Deguara, Alwiġ (1999). L-Imġarr - Il-Ħajja u l-Ħidma ta' Niesu mill-Qedem sa llum. p. 44-45. ISBN 99909-84-09-3.
  5. ^ "Ta' Ħaġrat Megalithic Site". Heritage Malta.
  6. ^ Deguara, Alwiġ (1999). L-Imġarr - Il-Ħajja u l-Ħidma ta' Niesu mill-Qedem sa llum. p. 53. ISBN 99909-84-09-3.
  7. ^ Said-Zammit, George A. (1993). "The Punic tombs of the Maltese islands".
  8. ^ Deguara, Alwiġ (1999). L-Imġarr - Il-Ħajja u l-Ħidma ta' Niesu mill-Qedem sa llum. ISBN 99909-84-09-3.
  9. ^ Deguara, Alwiġ (1999). L-Imġarr - Il-Ħajja u l-Ħidma ta' Niesu mill-Qedem sa llum. ISBN 99909-84-09-3.
  10. ^ "The first days of the Great Siege of Malta". Times of Malta. 15 May 2022.
  11. ^ Cassar, George (2005). "The role of the Maltese inhabitants during the Great Siege". Sacra Militia Foundation.
  12. ^ "100 years of Mġarr primary school". Times of Malta. 19 September 2023.
  13. ^ "Contact". San Andrea School.
  14. ^ "Contact Us | San Anton School". www.sananton.edu.mt. Retrieved 7 April 2024.
  15. ^ "San Anton School". www.sananton.edu.mt.
  16. ^ Deguara, Alwiġ (1999). L-Imġarr - Il-Ħajja u l-Ħidma ta' Niesu mill-Qedem sa llum. p. 1-34. ISBN 99909-84-09-3.
  17. ^ "Town twinning". mgarrlc.com. Mġarr. Retrieved 18 September 2019.
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Media related to Mġarr at Wikimedia Commons

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