A Lost World

Dominating the skyline around Mgarr, the great church is visible from a distance. Surrounded by lush countryside and low buildings, there is not much to obstruct its view. We drive closer, leaving the bustling noise of Mosta behind, as the air seems to get lighter and the silence more restful. Finally we park inside the Mgarr parish square, where a few old people sit comfortably on a bench and the only signs of life seem to stir behind shutters and inside houses, just out of sight. For a moment, it feels like having stumbled upon an undiscovered country, a vanishing world providing a glimpse of a village which has retained strong links with the past and which leads a peaceful, quiet – almost secret – life.

Perhaps the loneliest village in Malta, Mgarr is distanced from any other locality and has retained its distinctive character and serenity. A sense of mystery and yearning seems to hang over the village, as a breeze blows around us, raising the dust and stirring the trees around the square. Here, the sea is never far off – the village is close to the enchanting Ghajn Tuffieha and Gnejna bays – but Mgarr is better known for its countryside and for its deep links with tradition. Far off the tourist track, you’d be hard pressed to find even a teashop here, although the village is known for its rural restaurants serving traditional rabbit dishes.

Surrounded by the bays of Ghajn Tuffieha and Gnejna, with their wild and enchanting beauty, Mgarr possesses a sense of remoteness and mystery, of closeness with the past. Here can be found some of the oldest known places of worship. Skorba temples, for instance, consisting of two distinct temples, are so old that they have been entered in the Guinness Book of Records as one of the two oldest free-standing structures in the world. The West Temple dates to about 3,500BC and is about 60 feet square. It is built on a trefoil plan with three apsidal chambers and a courtyard in the middle. Some of the walls are four feet thick. The East temple is not so old and is neither preserved so well. Another important set of megalithic structures is at Ta’ Hagrat. These consist of two temples and the basic format is again a trefoil plan and a central courtyard. The larger temple has a spectacular massive facade. Cart ruts can also be found all over the village.

Not so old are the Thermal Roman Baths near Ghajn Tuffieha. The baths formed part of a villa which included statues and amphorae. Powerful members of high-ranking Roman families came frequently to Malta and used this villa as a stopover on their way to colonies on the North African coast.

With a population of just over 3,000, the large church still seems to dominate life here. Previously a part of Mosta parish, Mgarr became a parish in 1893. The first parish priest was Monsignor Glormu Chetcuti who laid the foundations of one of the most impressive churches on the island. Contributions for the erection of the church included 5,700 fowl, 920 swine, 620 rabbits, 600 lambs and goats, 13 calves and 360,000 eggs. The church itself is shaped like an egg and the not-so-perfect oval design was so unusual that no architect dared design it until Gamri Camilleri – the roofer and Mr John A Cilia – the headmaster volunteered to do the job, which proved to be a masterpiece.

The villagers are totally devoted to their patron - the Blessed Virgin. The M for Mary dominates the parish coat-of-arms which was designed by the much beloved Salomone who served as parish priest from 1931 to 1954. The village festa is celebrated on the first Sunday after August 15. Carrying the statue during the procession is such an honour that bearers pledge offerings which are distributed among charitable and missionary institutions and the rest go for the upkeep of the church.

Towers stand on the edge of cliffs around the area, solitary and enduring, looking out at sea, over sheltered bays such as Gnejna and Ghajn Tuffieha which, over the centuries, have been a refuge to pirates. One of the still existing is the Lippija Tower which Grand Master Lascaris built in 1657 to protect Gnejna and the few families living at Mgarr.

The southern boundary of Mgarr is formed by the Great Ridge and the Victoria Lines, a fortified 19th century wall. The Victoria Line was completed in 1897, the year of Queen Victoria’s Diamond Jubilee. The long stretch is punctuated with watch towers, batteries, gun posts and various strongholds. Four forts are positioned along the lines, Madliena Fort, Fort Mosta, Bingemma Fort and Fort Pembroke.

Despite its remoteness, the village leads a life of its own and, apart from the village feast, annual activities include Gieh Mgarr, an award to persons who have distinguished themselves within the locality, a strawberry feast in April, a Lejla Mgarrija in summer and even an American car exhibition accompanied by traditional rabbit dinners in the village square. As we drive back to the bustle and noise of the towns, Mgarr sits peacefully behind us, a quiet peaceful village in the countryside, following its own rhythms, as life rushes around it.