When we think of heritage structures the first thing the pops into our head is Haqar Qim or Aubreg de Castile. These buildings have been around for all of our lives. We learn about them in primary school and walk past some of them every day. But what do they represent today? Why should they even be preserved?
Our history is part of our culture, without it we would not have a national identity. Malta is littered with buildings and monuments left behind by the Romans, the knights, the British and I could go on. So, in this age of construction and modernisation, why should we keep a 450-year-old structure like the Grand Masters palace in St Georges square? One could say “well they were built by our ancestors; do we have a right to knock them down?” I would disagree with that statement completely.
Yes, these statues and palaces that you see all over Valletta, Mdina, and the rest of the island were built for a reason. They have certain factors about them that we cannot replicate today. However, should all this stop the improvement of our island? No, not for one second. I am a firm believer in the preservation of the past, (I would be a bad Archaeology student if I didn’t), but I also strongly believe that technology can give us a better life and a strong future. We can work around both ideas.
Gozo Heritage in Farmhouses
In today’s days, you see the reconstruction of farmhouses, mainly in Gozo. They are restored to their original condition from the outside, but on the inside, they are converted into modern living spaces. Does this justify the preservation of the house? In my opinion, yes it does. Someone could have easily come and bulldozed the farmhouse down and replaced it with a block of flats. Now, I know what you are going to say, “but that is not preservation!” Well in a way it isn’t, but it is a good loophole into keeping the original building intact, while at the same time creating a modern living space for the 21st century.
Railways Preservation in Malta
I am going to mention an example that while this does not directly affect us in Malta, is the perfect example of historic preservation. I am talking about railway preservation. Now everyone knows, we do not have railways in Malta, but are you aware that we did have one? From the 1870’s to 1931, the Malta railway ran from Valletta to Imtarfa, via Floriana, Hamrun, B’kara, Attard, and Mdina.
Unfortunately, this mode of transport was outdone by a student’s best friend, the bus. That was the end of that and the 10 locomotives that ran the line were scraped. This, however, is not always the only case.
Railways Preservation in Britain
In Britain, many railway lines and locomotives were preserved and run to this day. Through crowdfunding, these railways have become star attractions for people of all ages and all interests. The Talyllyn railway preservation society which is located in Tywyn in Wales managed to save the entire 8-mile route from being ripped up and forgotten about. They consider this to be a part of their history and culture and all over the UK, railways and other forms of transport have been saved from the cutter torch. I could go on about this for ages, but what is the point I am trying to make?
So, is heritage still relevant?
Well, the preservation of our history is a very important part of our culture. Why should something like the Talyllyn railway’s number 1 and 2 (Talyllyn and Dolgoch) be taken out of this world? Why should future generations be denied the privilege of seeing the Spitfire which’s was preserved in the air museum in Ta’ Qali? Future generations can learn from the past and use what they learn to make the future a better place. By taking the example of preserving railways, we too can learn from this and help to save certain traditions, important to the Maltese people, the best example I can think of is the Luzzu. Many have disappeared, why should that be the case?
Overall then, we must in today’s culture, understand that our heritage is important and the preservation of it is even more important, because by keeping statues, palaces, farmhouses etc. we are keeping the tradition and work that our ancestors poured into this island alive, while also improving our island for the future. That being said, however, at no point should a historical structure be torn down in the name of improvement, in doing this, we are defying the work and name of the Maltese people that came before us.