Birkirkara

Birkirkara, often called B’Kara or BKR, is a city in the Eastern Region of Malta. It is the second most crowded place to live on the island, with about 29,500 people as of August 2025. The city has five special areas called parishes, which are Saint Helen, Saint Joseph the Worker, Our Lady of Mount Carmel, Saint Mary, and San Gorg Preca.

The city’s motto is In hoc signo vinces, and its symbol shows a red cross with a crown on top. In July 2024, there were 29,026 people living there, with a bit more than half being males and the rest females. Most people were from Malta, but many also came from other countries.

Etymology

Birkirkara means "cold water" or "running water". This name comes from the valley in the town.

Originally, the name was written as Birchircara, because of Italian spelling, which usually does not use the letter 'K'. It is often shortened to B'kara or Kara.

Geography

Birkirkara is located in a valley, which is probably where it gets its name. On days with heavy storms, the area can flood. To help with this, several projects have been suggested, and the place has been made more beautiful over time.

Climate

Birkirkara has a Mediterranean climate, which means it has mild, wet winters and dry, hot summers. The temperature there changes from about 10 °C (50 °F) in the cooler months to around 31 °C (87 °F) in the summer.

Description

Birkirkara is one of Malta's oldest towns, first mentioned in records from 1402. Over time, many areas around it grew into their own towns, such as Sliema, St. Julian's, Msida, Ħamrun, Santa Venera, San Ġwann, and Swieqi.

Today, Birkirkara is a busy place where many people live and work. It has become a key spot for shopping and businesses in the area.

Churches, architecture and notable places

Birkirkara has many special places that are important to the town.

It is home to the Malta Financial Services Authority, the country's financial regulator. You can also find St Aloysius College, the historic Wignacourt Aqueduct from the 1600s, and St Helen's Basilica, which holds Malta's largest church bell. Other notable spots include Simonds Farsons Cisk, Malta's first brewery, and Dar Pirotta.

The town also has several important churches. The main religious celebration is for St Helen at St. Helen's Basilica, held on August 18th or the first Sunday after. A special morning procession features a wooden statue made by the artist Salvu Psaila. Birkirkara is also home to churches dedicated to St. Joseph the Worker, St. Mary, San Gorg Preca, and Our Lady of Mount Carmel. There is also the Church of St Paul, which was rebuilt in the mid-1800s.

Birkirkara Local Council

The Birkirkara Local Council is located inside the Birkirkara Civice Centre building. Here are the current members of the council:

• 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
• 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
• L-Imrieħel
• Ta' Ganu
• Ta' Paris
• Tal-Qattus
• Is-Swatar
• Ħas-Sajjied

Sport

Birkirkara has a multi-sport club called Birkirkara Saint Joseph Sports Club, famous for its athletics. The club also has groups for cycling, triathlon, swimming, and football. The football team, Birkirkara F.C., has won the Maltese Premier League four times. They also played in the UEFA Europa League in 2015–16 and 2016–17.

Natives

Some famous people were born in Birkirkara. One is Iacob Heraclid, a Greco-Maltese adventurer who ruled over Moldavia in the 1560s. Another is Eddie Fenech Adami, who served as Prime Minister and President of Malta. Anthony Mamo, the first President of Malta, was also born there.

Twin towns – sister cities

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

Birkirkara has friendly city partnerships with:

• [Grosseto], Italy
• [Sorrento], Italy
• [Longobardi, Italy], Italy
• [Carbonne], France