Mgarr shelter takes visitors back to the war years

The horrors and claustrophobia of wartime life in the shelters were yesterday recalled vividly as Prime Minister Eddie Fenech Adami and the media were treated to a tour of a large, recently restored shelter at Mgarr.

The shelter, hewn out of rock, lies beneath the il-Barri restaurant near the village church.

It is one of the largest underground locations of its kind in Malta, reaching a depth of 12 metres and spanning some 225 metres.

It was entirely dug by hand and used by some 400 people, according to manager Edgar Sammut, who lived his first few years there. That number included residents of Zabbar, who had been displaced by the bombing.

Once the danger of enemy bombing was over, the shelter remained untouched for some 55 years until it was discovered some nine years ago and made accessible to the public four years ago. Half of it remains closed though.

Lit dimly by candlelight, as it would have been during the war, the underground maze's low ceilings, restricted spaces, damp atmosphere and rough ground reflect the harsh reality of shelter life - without the smells.

As warning sirens wail away in the background, a running commentary describes what went on underground as hundreds took refuge. Photos of the devastation wreaked in the air raids adorn the shelter walls.

The shelter served as a home to many. For a shilling (5c) a day, those who could afford it could rent out their own private bunker in the shelter. At one point, when Malta was being blitzed daily, religion lessons were given inside the shelter.

The shelter was recently fitted with wooden benches, religious artefacts and dummies for special effects.

Mr Sammut said the Mgarr shelter had raised a lot of awareness among other local councils whose localities also had shelters.

The shelter is open Tuesdays to Saturdays between 9 a.m. and 2.30 p.m. and on Sundays between 10 and 11 a.m., against an entrance fee of Lm1.