Mariakerke is a village in the Belgian province of East-Flanders. It is part of the urban area of the province's capital city Ghent. Its population is of 11,883 people (2007). History In the 17th century, Mariakerke was devided in two because of the construction of the "Brugse Vaart", a canal that connects the cities of Ghent and Bruges. Because of the hundreds of years of seperation, both halves develloped their own unique atmosphere. Mariakerke obtained the status of independent village in… (More on Mariakerke)