According to Profs. De Lucca of the Malta University, Bir Mula Heritage is an unique architectural jewel. It shows the development of Maltese houses throught the ages. The House has three levels: the Old Farmhouse dating from Punico-Roman times, the Mediaeval now at street level and the 17th. Century restructuring. Many features are worth visiting and noticing, especially for those interested in Maltese house architecture and building techniques.

From the outside Bir Mula Heritage appears to be a typical Maltese town house. The main attraction of the house is the cellar, excavated when the building was being renovated by the present owner.

The present structure and house-phases date from Punico-Roman times to the 17th. Century. It shows the authentic development of Maltese houses: from a penning room, to a rural residence – farmhouse with a storage room, to a mediaeval house able to shelter an extended family, mediaeval additions and restructuring, and the final restructuring into a 17th. century ‘palazzo’ with all necessities to provide for the noble and the servitude. The house survived the ravishes of World War II, and was a residence till 1996. In 1996, the Vellas bought the house, and started an intensive manual restoration and conservation project. A number of graffiti discovered show links with ancient cultures, maritime people, the Knights Templar, the Knights of St. John, and the British era. BMH holds a variety of events and other tourist-oriented activities and services … ideal for groups.

The site had rendered artefacts from Neolithic times suggesting that the spot was already inhabited or frequented by human activity. Certain features of the cellar demonstrate that it must have started as a farmhouse in Punic times and was used as such up till the Arabic period. The farmhouse was eventually used as a kitchen when other sections were added on to the palazzino. Fortunately the cellar retains most of its original flagstones as well as a stone trough, limestone triple stove and baking oven. There is also evidence that some of the adjacent rooms were used to raise livestock/domestic animals. In the courtyard there is an old well with its original puteal. Near the well there are stones hewn as a washing stone basin and scrubber. In one of the rooms leading off from the courtyard there is an interesting architectural feature in the form of a rampant arch with jointed sections, quite rare in the Maltese Islands.

As already stated, after surviving the fierce air bombings of World War II, the house thrived as a residence till 1996 when it was restored and returned to its original character by the Vella family. Since then, next to its function as a museum and tourist attraction, it became a venue for various events.