History of Il- Gzira

known as a working-class suburb. When Malta was still a British Colony (1800-1964) and until the 1970's Gzira was afflicted by the prevalence of prostitution along its main streets, especially in The Strand. But when the British Services left Malta on 31 March 1979, the problem of prostitution diminished. During the last decade, many old houses has been demolished and new, luxurious blocks of flats have been built. As a result, much of the character and charm of the seafront houses has been lost, although in the heart of Gżira one can still find examples of traditional Maltese facades, with their enclosed wooden balconies (gallarija) and bow-fronted, wrought-iron balconies. The proliferation of flats in Gżira led to an inflation of the housing prices, as the town became sought after by both Maltese and foreign settlers.

Gżira today

The main reason behind the area's popularity is that it is fairly centrally located in Malta, being close to both the University of Malta and the capital, Valletta. Service industries, mainly car mechanics, commercial outlets and educational services are the town's main activities, yet Gżira shall most probably remain the gateway to Sliema, its neighbouring town.

The crime rate in Gżira is very low and the town is generally as safe as the rest of Malta & Gozo. Gżira's population has been fairly stable over the past few years, hovering around 7,086 people (Nov 2005). Gżira is also known as being quite a multicultural town, with well-established and fairly integrated immigrant groups, notably the North African and South Asian (Indian and Pakistani) communities.

Gżira was also known locally for the infamous Triq Testaferrata (Testaferrata Street). This street was commonly associated with prostitution. Even if today street prostitutes are