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 2006, by an official decree issued by the
Bishop of Malta Monsignor
Paul Cremona.[1][2][3]
Swatar is located on a hill. It is in the proximity to
Mater Dei Hospital and the
University of Malta which are found in an area in Msida known as Tal-Qroqq.[4] Swatar is also found next to Tal-Qattus and Ta' Paris areas in Birkirkara. The hamlet has been consisting of mainly farmlands until most of the 20th century.[5]
Some buildings, such as farmhouses, were built during the rule of the
Order of St. John. Most of the buildings today were built sometimes after
World War II and consist of modern neighborhoods.[5] Some significant economic activity takes place on the side of Birkirkara Bypass.[6]
History
Swatar has been an agricultural land since the Arab period in Malta when it was not considered as a reference area on its own. During the Order of St. John the area remained largely uninhabited but the areas in the surroundings were both agricultural and hunting zones. The area started to be populated mostly after
World War II when several families started to settle out of the cities. The
Government of Malta has given financial advantages to acquire and build land in the 1970s and 1980s for families who moved to live there; with similar schemes around Malta.[7]
Swatar has had its own spiritual service, by the Roman Catholic Church, since 1989, and became a separate parish in 2008.[8][9] The current parish priest is Fr Robert Grech. The patron of the church is
Saint George Preca, a Maltese.[7]
The pastoral center includes the parish church, a community gathering garden, a car park and a farmhouse. The farmhouse host three main community gathering being; the Adoration Chapel,[1] the house of the parish priest and the gathering place of the ŻAK. The farmhouse is a vernacular building and is one of the oldest buildings in Swatar. It has gone under different
adaptive reuse and structural changes.[12] The carpark is not for general public use.[13]
There is a public garden, named Swatar Garden, which is situated at Balliju Guttenberg Street. The garden is equipped with European standard facilities such as; a 5-a-side football ground, energy efficient lightning and safety and security measures.[14]
Swatar hosts a relative large number of companies, banks and other investments, which are mainly situated overlooking the
Mater Dei Hospital on Birkirkara Bypass.[15][16] Banks include the headquarters of the
APS Bank[17][18][19] and the
HSBC Bank Call Centre.[20][21]
Swatar remains an integral part under the Birkirkara and Msida Local Councils,[25] however it has its own administration being the Swatar Administrative Committee.[26][27] The
Labour Party generally gains the popular vote.[28]
Gallery
Community buildings
Parish Church of St Ġorġ Preca
Pastoral Centre Farmhouse
Interior of the Chapel of the Adoration (farmhouse)
^Swatar Administrative Committee (17 September 2014),
"Seduta Nru. 4/2014", Swatar Administrative Committee, Birkirkara and L-Imsida Local Councils, Retrieved February 11, 2016, p. 1-5.