A ftira currently sitting on the table of a snack bar has been scheduled to be destroyed and turned into a block of flats.
The decision to demolish the ftira comes in the same week that the traditional crusty Maltese bread was placed on UNESCO’s intangible cultural heritage list.
The ftira biz-żejt that has been earmarked for redevelopment is located on a table outside popular Gzira snack bar Buchman’s, and was originally purchased by 33-year-old Karl Falzon from Zejtun.
“I had just sat down to eat the ftira when the guy dressed in a suit appeared out of nowhere and offered me €10 for the ftira and my place at the table. I accepted because I only bought the thing for €3, and he didn’t look like he’d take no for an answer,” Falzon said.
The man in question was none other than Gozitan developer Joseph Portelli, who says he will now replace the ftira with a block of 10 miniature apartments suitable for families of mice or cockroaches.
“When I read that ftiras has been recognised as being culturally significant, the build-lust kicked in, and I went out and bought the first ftira I saw,” Portelli told Bis-Serjetà, adding that he would also consider incorporating part of the ftira into the new structure.
“I’m also hoping to find some ftiras in the countryside. There’s really nothing like destroying both cultural heritage and nature at the same time.”
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