Gharghur
Encyclopedia
Ħal Għargħur is one of the smallest and oldest towns of Malta
.
Ħal Għargħur is situated on a hilltop between two valleys in the North-East of Malta with a population of 2,389 (Nov 2005). Its coat of arms
is a red star over a red triangle on a silver shield with the motto 'Excelsior
' which means 'The Highest'. This motto indicates the fact that this town is geographically one of the highest in Malta. Ħal Għargħur is the highest town of Malta, but it's not the highest point of Malta. In his Lexicon Melitense (Maltese Dictionary) of 1796, Vassalli gives this description of Għargħur: "Ħal *RGĦ*ar*RGĦ*ur, it. Gregorio, Bel Villaggio alla parte settentrionale di Malta" (A pretty village in the northern part of Malta).Please note that instead of the present "Għ" (għajn) in the village's name, Vassalli uses the "Rgħ", a stronger form of the vocalised Għ.
Some Roman artifacts, found during road construction, were carried to the Domus Romana (Roman Villa), a Roman Villa and Museum, situated in the old town of Rabat
. A Muslim-style oven is still found in a house in Sqaq Warda. In the same alley one finds a home with Arab-style decorations on the facade. There is documented reference of Ħal Għargħur as far back as 1419, in the lists of the Dejma, which was a Militia that guarded the locals from pirate attacks. This settlement suffered from severe de-population during the High Middle Ages
and some years later due to continuous pirate attacks. Exiles from the central Italian city of Celano
settled in Ħal Għargħur and built the town's oldest church, that of St. John (next to which one finds the town's graveyard). The citizens of Celano were exiled in the year 1223 by Emperor Frederick II.
The main event of the year is the village festa
which is celebrated on the 24th (if this turns out to be a Sunday) or the last Sunday of August. The statue of the saint is carried shoulder high along the illuminated streets of the village accompanied by musical bands. A display of colourful fireworks, ends the village festival. Many tourists tend to take part in the celebration of the saint's day
, by visiting the church and the well-known fireworks display.
was established in Ħal Għargħur in the Middle Ages, in an area now called Tar-Rħieb (Friars' (old Maltese) place). There is no evidence as to when and why this abbey was abandoned, but the reason could have been the constant pirate attacks on the village, which led to a severe de-population in both Għargħur and nearby settlements. During these raids, settlements were looted and those fit were taken into slavery. Indeed, in this period houses in Għargħur were built in a way so that the residents could lock up themselves. One feature of these houses was a secret room in which females used to hide during these attacks. Also, the old streets and alleys are planned in a way that would confuse and person unused to them. These raids continued well into the years, even after Għargħur became a parish. Indeed, on one occasion the residents of Għargħur found refuge in the Parish Church and vowed that if they were unharmed, an annual pilgrimage would take place every year to the shrine of [Mellieħa]. Indeed, no one was harmed or taken into slavery and thus the tradition of holding this pilgrimage was started.
As regards places of worship, it is likely that the early Christians used some of the caves found in the village as churches. Two such caves are those found at Ġebel San Pietru (Saint Peter's Hill (Old Maltese) or Stone (Modern Maltese)) and Għar San Brinkat (Saint Patrick's cave). Later on chapels were built. St. John the Baptist's chapel is considered to be the first chapel built in Għargħur, even if this chapel was rebuilt in the 17th century and thus the one present is not the Medieval original. Another two Medieval chapels were those of St. Nicholas, St Bartholomew in the village of Għargħur and those of St. Catherine and St. Gregory (both in Xwieki) and St. Mary Magdalene (Madliena) in the surrounding countryside.
parish, however until 1598 they were not given the right to form their own parish. However, in 1598 Bishop Gargallo (for whom one finds a street named in Ħal Għargħur) listened to the appeals that the Għargħurin had been making for long time and decided to grant the people of Ħal Għargħur the charter establishing a parish. Thus, the first baptisms, marriages and funerals started being done in Ħal Għargħur. Dun Mattew Schiriha from Senglea, responsible for the chapel of Saint Bartholomew (which existed on the site of the present parish church) started signing documents as "Cappellano della parrochia di Casal Gregorio".
Sadly, the Naxxar
parish refused to accept the new status enjoyed by Ħal Għargħur. Dun Giljan Borg, parish priest of Naxxar, complained about the financial loss that Naxxar would suffer with the separation from it of Ħal Għargħur. Rev. Borg also complained that the Naxxar parish was losing the authority it had over the Ħal Għargħur community. Here it is important to point out that despite the fact that Ħal Għargħur and Mosta
formed part of the Naxxar parish, both Mosta and Ħal Għargħur were regarded as being separate entities from Naxxar and, in fact, on the birth registers of Naxxar, at the time when these two other villages fell under Naxxar, it was written next to the person's name whether he was from Naxxar, Mosta or Ħal Għargħur.
Even if the Ħal Għargħur community strived hardly for the preservation of their new status, this was suspended in 1601 by the Bishop's curia. This was done because Rev. Borg's (Naxxar's parish priest) health was deteriorating due to this problem. The Ħal Għargħur community resorted to the Inquisitor
, to whom they complained about their situation. The Inquisitor (Monsigneur Verallo) decided in favour of Ħal Għargħur, and thus as from 1604 Saint Bartholomew's church could be used again as a parish church, despite the fact that officially it had been re-integrated into Naxxar, It is interesting to note that between 1590 and 1591, the Naxxar parish priest had served a prison sentence at the Inquisitor's prison. He had to serve this sentence after he baptised twice a pair of twins born in Ħal Għargħur. He did so because the twins had been baptised by the midwife as they were in the danger of death. Rev. Birg was not supposed to baptise these two babies again, however he did. It is very possible that the Ħal Għargħur community resorted to the Inquisitor when their parish status was taken away because Rev. Borg was already in the bad books of the Inquisitor.
With the death of Rev. Borg in 1610, Bishop Gargallo felt that he could finally confirm Ħal Għargħur's status as a separate parish. The residents of Ħal Għargħur, most of whom were farmers, promised that they would give part of their produce (cotton, wheat and barley) for the preservation of the parish.
Ħal Għargħur was a rural community located in an area particularly lacking fertile soil and fresh water. Nevertheless, the inhabitants of this area were able to finance the building of a parish church and several other chapels which host Baroque fine arts. The main attraction of the village, besides the countryside, is the parish church dedicated to Saint Bartholomew
the Apostle. Its interior is of the Doric order
but it has a fine Baroque
façade. The original façade was demolished and the one seen today was built in 1743. The church was built between 1610 and 1638 and was designed by Maltese architect Tumas Dingli.
Its treasures include a wooden statue of Saint Bartholomew sculptured in Rome
attributed to Maltese artist Melchiore Gafa. The statue was made circa 1666 and it is believed to be the model for the similar statue in San Giovanni Laterano, Rome. It was brought to the town in 1772. Restorations on it were held in 1912. In 2005 the statue had further preservation and its niche was restructured. The statue is the second heaviest in the Maltese islands.
Before World War II
and prior to the installation of radar
, a concave wall was constructed in Ħal Għargħur to with the aim of detect incoming Italian aircraft. This acoustic mirror
is called "il-Widna" by locals (lit. the ear). Ħal Għargħur hosted a number a refugees from the harbour area during that war. These refugees were seeking shelter from the continuous air raids
by the Axis Powers
. The public school was used as a dormitory for these refugees.
, which on official documents appeared as Zurico and Naxxar
, which on various documents and maps was referred to as Nascario. Most probably, the name Ħal Għargħur derives from the Għargħar, Malta's national tree. It is interesting to note that in the North-Eastern part of Malta there are other place names which possibly have their origin to this particular tree. These are San Ġwann ta' l-Għargħar and Il-Ħotba tal-Għargħar.
Another reason for the two versions of the name might be linguistic/phonologiic. Originally the Maltese letter "GĦ" was spelt (it still is by a small number of people). It is possible that when the usage of the "GĦ " in speech was dying out, some people dropped the "GĦ " (in the same way as was done with other words) while others retained it but transformed it into a G sound. Similar cases can be found in the Maltese language. For example, the word "ħarħar" was originally spelt as "għargħar"; in this case the "Għ" was replaced by an "ħ".
There are various features associated with this dialect. One of them is the pronunciation of the letter "Q" in certain words, namely "daħq", "ċagħaq", "qagħaq" and "sriedaq" as a voiceless uvular plosive (sounds as a "k" to the unexpert ear). In standard Maltese, the Q is prounounced as a glottal stop. Another feature, which however now has largely disappeared, is the pronunciation of the "h" which is otherwise silent in Maltese. Another feature is an un-trilled "R", a letter which is normally trilled in standard Maltese. A word which is associated with this dialect is "ħuuri", which means "look". In the Ħal Għargħur dialect, a kite is called "ħamiema" (pigeon), while in standard Maltese it is called tajra. Some find a resemblance between the Ħal Għargħur dialect and the dialect of Għarb in Gozo
.
The aim of Dwal Godda is to present Maltese Theatre in its cultural setting.
As well as the works of members of the group, mainly the prolific playwright Martin Gauci, Dwal Godda's repertoire includes classic plays by international dramatists and work by living writers.
Traditionally, the hamlets of Madliena and Baħar iċ-Ċagħaq, as well as part of Magħtab, form part of Ħal Għargħur. Likewise, the zones of St. Andrew's and High Ridge formed part of Ħal Għargħur before being integrated within the locality of Swieqi. The modern town of Pembroke
also used to form part of Ħal Għargħur, albeit access to this zone was restricted because this area was reserved for military purpose.
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...
.
Ħal Għargħur is situated on a hilltop between two valleys in the North-East of Malta with a population of 2,389 (Nov 2005). Its coat of arms
Coat of arms
A coat of arms is a unique heraldic design on a shield or escutcheon or on a surcoat or tabard used to cover and protect armour and to identify the wearer. Thus the term is often stated as "coat-armour", because it was anciently displayed on the front of a coat of cloth...
is a red star over a red triangle on a silver shield with the motto 'Excelsior
Excelsior
Excelsior is a Latin and archaic English word meaning "ever higher". It may refer to:- Literature and music :* "Excelsior" , a poem by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow...
' which means 'The Highest'. This motto indicates the fact that this town is geographically one of the highest in Malta. Ħal Għargħur is the highest town of Malta, but it's not the highest point of Malta. In his Lexicon Melitense (Maltese Dictionary) of 1796, Vassalli gives this description of Għargħur: "Ħal *RGĦ*ar*RGĦ*ur, it. Gregorio, Bel Villaggio alla parte settentrionale di Malta" (A pretty village in the northern part of Malta).Please note that instead of the present "Għ" (għajn) in the village's name, Vassalli uses the "Rgħ", a stronger form of the vocalised Għ.
Some Roman artifacts, found during road construction, were carried to the Domus Romana (Roman Villa), a Roman Villa and Museum, situated in the old town of Rabat
Rabat, Malta
Rabat is a village just outside Mdina, Malta. The name of the village is derived from the Arabic word for 'suburb': الرباط, as it was the suburb of the old capital Mdina. Half of the present-day village core also formed part of the Roman city of Melita, before the latter was resized during the...
. A Muslim-style oven is still found in a house in Sqaq Warda. In the same alley one finds a home with Arab-style decorations on the facade. There is documented reference of Ħal Għargħur as far back as 1419, in the lists of the Dejma, which was a Militia that guarded the locals from pirate attacks. This settlement suffered from severe de-population during the High Middle Ages
High Middle Ages
The High Middle Ages was the period of European history around the 11th, 12th, and 13th centuries . The High Middle Ages were preceded by the Early Middle Ages and followed by the Late Middle Ages, which by convention end around 1500....
and some years later due to continuous pirate attacks. Exiles from the central Italian city of Celano
Celano
Celano is a town and comune in the Province of L'Aquila, central Italy, east of Rome by rail.-Geography:Celano rises on the top of a hill in the territory of Marsica, below the mountain range of Sirente. It faces the valley of Fucino, once filled by the large Fucine Lake, which was drained during...
settled in Ħal Għargħur and built the town's oldest church, that of St. John (next to which one finds the town's graveyard). The citizens of Celano were exiled in the year 1223 by Emperor Frederick II.
The main event of the year is the village festa
Culture of Malta
The culture of Malta is the culture of the Maltese islanders and reflects various societies that have come into contact with the Maltese Islands throughout the centuries, including neighbouring Mediterranean cultures, and the cultures of the nations that ruled Malta for long periods of time prior...
which is celebrated on the 24th (if this turns out to be a Sunday) or the last Sunday of August. The statue of the saint is carried shoulder high along the illuminated streets of the village accompanied by musical bands. A display of colourful fireworks, ends the village festival. Many tourists tend to take part in the celebration of the saint's day
Calendar of saints
The calendar of saints is a traditional Christian method of organizing a liturgical year by associating each day with one or more saints and referring to the feast day of said saint...
, by visiting the church and the well-known fireworks display.
The Ħal Għargħur community prior to the establishment as a parish
There is little written information about the people of Għargħur in earlier days. One source of information is the Dejma list, which mentions Għargħur in conjunction with Ħal Samudi (Madliena). In the Middle Ages, Għargħur was most probably a very small rural community. An abbeyAbbey
An abbey is a Catholic monastery or convent, under the authority of an Abbot or an Abbess, who serves as the spiritual father or mother of the community.The term can also refer to an establishment which has long ceased to function as an abbey,...
was established in Ħal Għargħur in the Middle Ages, in an area now called Tar-Rħieb (Friars' (old Maltese) place). There is no evidence as to when and why this abbey was abandoned, but the reason could have been the constant pirate attacks on the village, which led to a severe de-population in both Għargħur and nearby settlements. During these raids, settlements were looted and those fit were taken into slavery. Indeed, in this period houses in Għargħur were built in a way so that the residents could lock up themselves. One feature of these houses was a secret room in which females used to hide during these attacks. Also, the old streets and alleys are planned in a way that would confuse and person unused to them. These raids continued well into the years, even after Għargħur became a parish. Indeed, on one occasion the residents of Għargħur found refuge in the Parish Church and vowed that if they were unharmed, an annual pilgrimage would take place every year to the shrine of [Mellieħa]. Indeed, no one was harmed or taken into slavery and thus the tradition of holding this pilgrimage was started.
As regards places of worship, it is likely that the early Christians used some of the caves found in the village as churches. Two such caves are those found at Ġebel San Pietru (Saint Peter's Hill (Old Maltese) or Stone (Modern Maltese)) and Għar San Brinkat (Saint Patrick's cave). Later on chapels were built. St. John the Baptist's chapel is considered to be the first chapel built in Għargħur, even if this chapel was rebuilt in the 17th century and thus the one present is not the Medieval original. Another two Medieval chapels were those of St. Nicholas, St Bartholomew in the village of Għargħur and those of St. Catherine and St. Gregory (both in Xwieki) and St. Mary Magdalene (Madliena) in the surrounding countryside.
Ħal Għargħur becomes a Parish - 1598, 1610
The people of Ħal Għargħur had long felt that they were separate and autonomous from the NaxxarNaxxar
Naxxar is a village in the central north of Malta, with a population of about 13,647 people . The Naxxar Church is dedicated to Our Lady of Victories. The feast is celebrated on September 8...
parish, however until 1598 they were not given the right to form their own parish. However, in 1598 Bishop Gargallo (for whom one finds a street named in Ħal Għargħur) listened to the appeals that the Għargħurin had been making for long time and decided to grant the people of Ħal Għargħur the charter establishing a parish. Thus, the first baptisms, marriages and funerals started being done in Ħal Għargħur. Dun Mattew Schiriha from Senglea, responsible for the chapel of Saint Bartholomew (which existed on the site of the present parish church) started signing documents as "Cappellano della parrochia di Casal Gregorio".
Sadly, the Naxxar
Naxxar
Naxxar is a village in the central north of Malta, with a population of about 13,647 people . The Naxxar Church is dedicated to Our Lady of Victories. The feast is celebrated on September 8...
parish refused to accept the new status enjoyed by Ħal Għargħur. Dun Giljan Borg, parish priest of Naxxar, complained about the financial loss that Naxxar would suffer with the separation from it of Ħal Għargħur. Rev. Borg also complained that the Naxxar parish was losing the authority it had over the Ħal Għargħur community. Here it is important to point out that despite the fact that Ħal Għargħur and Mosta
Mosta
Mosta is a town situated in the middle of the island of Malta, to the north-west of Valletta. It had a population of 19,018 people in 2010. Mosta celebrates the feast of Saint Mary the Assumption on the 15th August. This is a very popular feast among the Mostin and tourists alike...
formed part of the Naxxar parish, both Mosta and Ħal Għargħur were regarded as being separate entities from Naxxar and, in fact, on the birth registers of Naxxar, at the time when these two other villages fell under Naxxar, it was written next to the person's name whether he was from Naxxar, Mosta or Ħal Għargħur.
Even if the Ħal Għargħur community strived hardly for the preservation of their new status, this was suspended in 1601 by the Bishop's curia. This was done because Rev. Borg's (Naxxar's parish priest) health was deteriorating due to this problem. The Ħal Għargħur community resorted to the Inquisitor
Inquisitor
An inquisitor was an official in an Inquisition, an organisation or program intended to eliminate heresy and other things frowned on by the Roman Catholic Church...
, to whom they complained about their situation. The Inquisitor (Monsigneur Verallo) decided in favour of Ħal Għargħur, and thus as from 1604 Saint Bartholomew's church could be used again as a parish church, despite the fact that officially it had been re-integrated into Naxxar, It is interesting to note that between 1590 and 1591, the Naxxar parish priest had served a prison sentence at the Inquisitor's prison. He had to serve this sentence after he baptised twice a pair of twins born in Ħal Għargħur. He did so because the twins had been baptised by the midwife as they were in the danger of death. Rev. Birg was not supposed to baptise these two babies again, however he did. It is very possible that the Ħal Għargħur community resorted to the Inquisitor when their parish status was taken away because Rev. Borg was already in the bad books of the Inquisitor.
With the death of Rev. Borg in 1610, Bishop Gargallo felt that he could finally confirm Ħal Għargħur's status as a separate parish. The residents of Ħal Għargħur, most of whom were farmers, promised that they would give part of their produce (cotton, wheat and barley) for the preservation of the parish.
Ħal Għargħur was a rural community located in an area particularly lacking fertile soil and fresh water. Nevertheless, the inhabitants of this area were able to finance the building of a parish church and several other chapels which host Baroque fine arts. The main attraction of the village, besides the countryside, is the parish church dedicated to Saint Bartholomew
Bartholomew
Bartholomew was one of the Twelve Apostles of Jesus, and is usually identified as Nathaniel . He was introduced to Christ through St. Philip, another of the twelve apostles as per , where the name Nathaniel first appears. He is also mentioned as “Nathaniel of Cana in Galilee” in...
the Apostle. Its interior is of the Doric order
Doric order
The Doric order was one of the three orders or organizational systems of ancient Greek or classical architecture; the other two canonical orders were the Ionic and the Corinthian.-History:...
but it has a fine Baroque
Baroque
The Baroque is a period and the style that used exaggerated motion and clear, easily interpreted detail to produce drama, tension, exuberance, and grandeur in sculpture, painting, literature, dance, and music...
façade. The original façade was demolished and the one seen today was built in 1743. The church was built between 1610 and 1638 and was designed by Maltese architect Tumas Dingli.
Its treasures include a wooden statue of Saint Bartholomew sculptured in Rome
Rome
Rome is the capital of Italy and the country's largest and most populated city and comune, with over 2.7 million residents in . The city is located in the central-western portion of the Italian Peninsula, on the Tiber River within the Lazio region of Italy.Rome's history spans two and a half...
attributed to Maltese artist Melchiore Gafa. The statue was made circa 1666 and it is believed to be the model for the similar statue in San Giovanni Laterano, Rome. It was brought to the town in 1772. Restorations on it were held in 1912. In 2005 the statue had further preservation and its niche was restructured. The statue is the second heaviest in the Maltese islands.
British period
The Victoria Lines, named after Queen Victoria, and which divide the island of Malta from east to west, passes through this locality. Other fortifications can also be found. Ħal Għargħur hosts much of Malta's telecommunication infrastructure.Before World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
and prior to the installation of radar
Radar
Radar is an object-detection system which uses radio waves to determine the range, altitude, direction, or speed of objects. It can be used to detect aircraft, ships, spacecraft, guided missiles, motor vehicles, weather formations, and terrain. The radar dish or antenna transmits pulses of radio...
, a concave wall was constructed in Ħal Għargħur to with the aim of detect incoming Italian aircraft. This acoustic mirror
Acoustic mirror
An acoustic mirror is a passive device used to reflect and perhaps to focus sound waves.- Overview :Prior to World War II and the invention of radar, acoustic mirrors were built as early warning devices around the coasts of Great Britain, with the aim of detecting airborne invasions...
is called "il-Widna" by locals (lit. the ear). Ħal Għargħur hosted a number a refugees from the harbour area during that war. These refugees were seeking shelter from the continuous air raids
Strategic bombing
Strategic bombing is a military strategy used in a total war with the goal of defeating an enemy nation-state by destroying its economic ability and public will to wage war rather than destroying its land or naval forces...
by the Axis Powers
Axis Powers
The Axis powers , also known as the Axis alliance, Axis nations, Axis countries, or just the Axis, was an alignment of great powers during the mid-20th century that fought World War II against the Allies. It began in 1936 with treaties of friendship between Germany and Italy and between Germany and...
. The public school was used as a dormitory for these refugees.
Name
In modern times a controversy has risen over the real name of this village - whether it should be called Gargur or Ħal Għargħur. The original name was Ħal Għargħur . 'Ħal' is an old abbreviation of 'Raħal', which means a "village/small town". 'Għargħur' most probably derives from 'Gregorio' — in the middle of the 15th century, the village was called Casal Gregorio. In Hebrew, Gargur or Gargiur is the name given to small communities. The current pronunciation is possibly related to the influence of English rule (1800–1964). It is also possible that the name Gregorio emerged as a result of the process of Italianisation which the Maltese language underwent. Similar example are the names of the town of ŻurrieqZurrieq
Żurrieq is one of the oldest towns in Malta, and has a population of 12,000 inhabitants . Żurrieq is situated in the South West of Malta. The first documentation about it being a parish dates back to 1436 dedicated to St. Catherine of Alexandria. The island of Filfla is administratively a part of...
, which on official documents appeared as Zurico and Naxxar
Naxxar
Naxxar is a village in the central north of Malta, with a population of about 13,647 people . The Naxxar Church is dedicated to Our Lady of Victories. The feast is celebrated on September 8...
, which on various documents and maps was referred to as Nascario. Most probably, the name Ħal Għargħur derives from the Għargħar, Malta's national tree. It is interesting to note that in the North-Eastern part of Malta there are other place names which possibly have their origin to this particular tree. These are San Ġwann ta' l-Għargħar and Il-Ħotba tal-Għargħar.
Another reason for the two versions of the name might be linguistic/phonologiic. Originally the Maltese letter "GĦ" was spelt (it still is by a small number of people). It is possible that when the usage of the "GĦ " in speech was dying out, some people dropped the "GĦ " (in the same way as was done with other words) while others retained it but transformed it into a G sound. Similar cases can be found in the Maltese language. For example, the word "ħarħar" was originally spelt as "għargħar"; in this case the "Għ" was replaced by an "ħ".
Dialect
Traditionally, the people of Għargħur speak in their own dialect. Unfortunately, this dialect, like others on the island of Malta, is highly endangered. This is mainly due to the influence of the media, where the harbour-area accents are used, as well as an education system which discourages the use of dialects. Socio-cultural stigma associated with dialects also contributed to the gradual demise of the dialect. As older generations stopped talking to their children in dialect, the dialect started dying out.There are various features associated with this dialect. One of them is the pronunciation of the letter "Q" in certain words, namely "daħq", "ċagħaq", "qagħaq" and "sriedaq" as a voiceless uvular plosive (sounds as a "k" to the unexpert ear). In standard Maltese, the Q is prounounced as a glottal stop. Another feature, which however now has largely disappeared, is the pronunciation of the "h" which is otherwise silent in Maltese. Another feature is an un-trilled "R", a letter which is normally trilled in standard Maltese. A word which is associated with this dialect is "ħuuri", which means "look". In the Ħal Għargħur dialect, a kite is called "ħamiema" (pigeon), while in standard Maltese it is called tajra. Some find a resemblance between the Ħal Għargħur dialect and the dialect of Għarb in Gozo
Gozo
Gozo is a small island of the Maltese archipelago in the Mediterranean Sea. The island is part of the Southern European country of Malta; after the island of Malta itself, it is the second-largest island in the archipelago...
.
Legends
One of the legends found in Għargħur is that of St. Patrick's Cave (Għar San Brinkat). It was believed, in the old times, that demons had infested this cave. Thus, people were afraid to pass by it. Once, a painting on wood that featured a crucified Christ and St. Patrick came ashore in Baħar iċ-Ċagħaq. Promptly, the people of Baħar iċ-Ċagħaq took the painting to this cave and the demons left. A spring found in this cave was dais to be miraculous, however the faithful stopped drinking from it after lepers started bathing in it in order to heal. The painting can still be seen in the cave, a mass is said here once a year, when a small feast is held.Performing arts
- Dwal Godda Theatre Company
The aim of Dwal Godda is to present Maltese Theatre in its cultural setting.
As well as the works of members of the group, mainly the prolific playwright Martin Gauci, Dwal Godda's repertoire includes classic plays by international dramatists and work by living writers.
Social Clubs
- Saint Bartholomew Philarmonic Society (Is-Soċjetà Filarmonika San Bartilmew)
- Għargħur F.C.
- Labour Club - Dar il-Ħelsien (Freedom House), Triq San Bartilmew
- Nationalist Club - Circolo Nazzionalista (Nationalist Circle), Triq il-Wiesgħa
Interesting Places
- Oratory (at Oratory Street)
- Santa Marija ta' Żellieqa Chapel (at Madliena Road)
- St. Bartholmew's Parish Church (at Church Square)
- St. John's Chapel (at St. John Street)
- St. Nicholas' Chapel (at St. Nicholas Street)
- Tal-Ferħa Home (at Ċawl Street)
- Wied id-Dis
- Wied l-Anġlu (at Bishop Gargallo Street)
Village Core
- Misraħ il-Knisja (Church Square)
- Sqaq Warda (Flower's Lane)
- Sqaq ir-Rużarju (Rosary Lane)
- Triq Emmanuel Perren (E. Perren Street)
- Triq id-Dejqa (Strait Street)
- Triq il-Kbira (Main Street)
- Triq il-Ġdida (New Street)
- Triq / Sqaq il-Qiegħed
- Sqaq iċ-Ċawl (Ravens' Lane)
- Triq il-Mons. Luigi Catania (Mgr. L. Catania Street)
- Triq il-Wiesgħa (Wide Street)
- Triq id-Dejqa (Strait Street)
- Triq Karmnu Zarb (C. Zarb Street)
- Triq l-Oratorju (Oratory Street)
- Triq San Bartilmew (St. Bartholomew Street)
- Triq San Nikola (St. Nicholas Street)
Famous people
- Francis Bezzina Wettinger, former Member of Parliament (Malta Workers' Party)
- Mons. Lwiġi Catania, Theologian
- Nick Church (a swimmer who now lives in San Diego, California)
- Karmnu Sant (Poet)
- The Blessed Dumink Mifsud O.F.M. (Maltese 16th century Franciscan friar - declared as "Blessed" (last step before saint-hood)).
- Stiefnu Zerafa (Botanist - described Malta's national plant, the Widnet il-Baħar).
- Fr. Joseph Benedict Xuereb, OFM ( Known for translating various medieval texts of the Sources for the Life of Saint Anthony of Padua)
Zones in Ħal Għargħur
- Gwiedi
- Ta' Ġwiebi (Cisterns' place)
- Il-Fanal (The Lantern)
- Il-Qortin
- Id-Dejma
- Tal-Ferħa Estate (Joy's Estate)
- Tax-Xiħ (Old Man's Village)
- Wied Anġlu (Angel Valley)
- Iż-Żellieqa (The Slope)
- Wied Faħam (Coal Valley)
- Wied id-Dies (Dies being an old tool used in weaving)
- Wied id-Dieb (Wolf's Valley)
- Ta' Mejmun (Mejmun's (fields), Mejmun being an Arab personal name)
- Xwieki (derived from the Maltese word for "thorns")
- Il-Ġonna (The Gardens)
- Santa Katerina (Saint Catherine's village)
- Ta' Misraħ Basili
- Ta' Żagħruna (Hawthorn Village)
- Ta' Rħieb (Friars' place, old Maltese)
- Tal-Pellegrin (Pilgrim's place)
- Santa Marija taż-Żellieqa
- L-anċiritka (corruption of Italian phrase luce electrica - electric light, this was the first part of the locality to be serviced with electric light, due to the presence of Army barracks in this area).
- Ġnien San Pawl
- L-Għar ta' San Brinkat (Saint Patrick's Cave)
- Għar San Pietru / Ġebel San Pietru
- Il-Ġebla l-Kbira (The Big Stone. Alternitavely, "Ġebel" and "Ġebla" might have originally meant hill, since in the Middle Ages this word was used when referring to very high hills)
- In-Nigret (old place-name common in Malta referring to an area where some black persons had lived)
- It-Telgħa tat-Tiebru (Tabor's Hill)
- Ta' Qajjarum (location: Għargħur-Madliena, Qajjarum derives from Rqajja' r-Rum, which translates in the patches (fields) of the Rum (name given by Arabs to refer to (Byzantine) Christians during the Arab rule of Malta)
- Peppi n-Niegru (Joseph the Negro's place)
- In-naħa tal-Belt (City's Side - this is the part in Ħal Għargħur's old core where one finds the street (Main Street) which connected the town to the road which eventually led to VallettaVallettaValletta is the capital of Malta, colloquially known as Il-Belt in Maltese. It is located in the central-eastern portion of the island of Malta, and the historical city has a population of 6,098. The name "Valletta" is traditionally reserved for the historic walled citadel that serves as Malta's...
). - Il-Ħâra l-Ġdida (The New Neighbourhood)
- San Nikola (Saint Nicholas' place)
- Wara t-Tribuna
- Tal-Misilmin (Muslim's (field))
Traditionally, the hamlets of Madliena and Baħar iċ-Ċagħaq, as well as part of Magħtab, form part of Ħal Għargħur. Likewise, the zones of St. Andrew's and High Ridge formed part of Ħal Għargħur before being integrated within the locality of Swieqi. The modern town of Pembroke
Pembroke, Malta
Pembroke, Malta's newest town, is on the northern coast of Malta. To the east is Paceville, the nightlife district of Malta. The coastal town and tourist hub of St. Julian's lies to the southeast, and the residential area of Swieqi lies to the south...
also used to form part of Ħal Għargħur, albeit access to this zone was restricted because this area was reserved for military purpose.
Ħal Għargħur Main Roads
- Triq Caravaggio (Carravaggio Street)
- Triq E.M.Perren (Perren Street)
- Triq il-31 ta' Marzu (31 March Street)
- Triq il-Kbira (Main Street)
- Triq il-Madliena (Madliena Road)
- Triq il-Wiesgħa (Wide Street)
- Triq in-Naxxar (Naxxar Road)
- Triq ir-Repubblika (Republic Street) (ging street)
- Triq l-Oratorju (Oratory Street)
- Triq Monsinjur Lwiġi Catania (Mgr. Luigi Catania Street)
- Triq San Bartolomew (St. Bartholomeo Street)
- Triq San Ġwann (St. John Street)
- Triq Santa Katerina (St. Catherine Street)
- Triq Stiefnu Zerafa (Stephen Zerafa Street)
- Triq Tal-Balal (Tal-Balal Road)