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the village of mqabba
Mqabba is a small village situated in the South-Eastern part of Malta, surrounded by the neighbourhood villages of Qrendi, Zurrieq, Siggiewi, Kirkop, Safi and Luqa. Its population amounts to 2,700 inhabitants. The area is rich in Globigerina limestone (gebla tal-franka), a geological feature which later on was to condition to a great extent the socioeconomic life of the village.The name 'Mqabba' is derived either from the word 'qabb' (to cut or quarry stone) or from 'qubba' (dome).
The first needs no explanation since in Mqabba one finds the greatest concentration of soft stone quarries in Malta. The second may refer to a type of construction typical of the 10th and 11th centuries. In the prevailing fashion of Latinizing place names, the village was subsequently called Casal Mechabeb and Micababa, but the Semitic form is now back in use. Notwithstanding its size, the village of Mqabba is very rich in archaeological remains. Lets have a look at the most important historical places, which surround the village.
Village Square
The village 'pjazza' is dominated by the parish church and the two main band clubs- the Lily Band Club founded in 1911 and the King George V band Club founded in 1910. The facades of the clubs were a post-World War II addition. In fact the facade of the Lily Band Club was build in 1948 by the local master mason Baskal Xuereb while some years later the King George V club built its present facade under the direction of architect D' Amato.
The stone cross which dominates part of the 'pjazza' was constructed in commemoration of the death of Dun Angelo Mallia, parish priest of the village between 1676 and 1690. Himself from Imqabba, Mallia pushed forward the project for the building of a new church, which church was completed by 1689. The building of the church was carried out under the direction of Mario Briffa and his son John Mary. Four stone statues decorate the church parvis. These statues represent St. John the Evangelist, the Redeemer, the Immaculate Conception and St. Rocco. The latter statue was commissioned during the Plague which on various occasions visited Malta. The nearby statue of the Assumption of St. Mary was commissioned by Spiridione Schembri in the late 1940's.
Of an archaeological interest are a row of roundel carvings decorating the first house in Parish street. These are very similar to other 18th century carvings on the road form Hal Millieri to Mqabba. Some roundle carvings as the case of Mqabba, were of very high workmanship. Workshops producing such decorations were common and possibly found also in Malta. Most probably that these roundle carvings were extracted from older buildings and used later to decorate the Mqabba houses.
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