After an uneventful couple of sea days we arrived early in
the morning in Malta.
The harbor
is in the capital city of Valletta, named after a 16
th century Grand
Master of the Knights of St. John.
The harbor is impressive, surrounded by fortresses and massive walls and
ramparts built by the Knights to repel invaders.
I think it’s one of the more spectacular ports to sail into
because of all the fortifications.
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St. Elmo's Fortress |
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Valletta sea walls |
Malta is the largest island of a small archipelago that lies
about 80 km south of Sicily.
Its
location and good harbor have contributed to its importance through the
millennia.
There are ruins dating
back to as early as 5000 BC.
It’s
thought the first inhabitants were Stone Age people who came from Sicily.
During the morning on our tour we visited the Tarxien Temples which were
probably built by some of the earliest inhabitants.
The ruins were discovered in 1914 by farmers plowing their
fields.
The complex which was
unearthed is large and includes massive monoliths.
Giving a clue to how they may have been put into place are
many small round stones which probably were used as rollers.
Many of the
large stones are carved with a spiral design that probably
signifies eternity.
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Tarxien Temple Complex |
|
Round stones used as rollers |
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Spiral carvings were everywhere |
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The Fat Lady |
Subsequently, the Phoenicians had several trading posts.
The Carthaginians used the island
as a naval base during their wars with Rome.
Over the centuries the island has belonged to the Roman
Empire, Byzantine Empire, Normans, Spanish and Holy Roman Empire.
In 1522 The Knights of St. John, who
were originally Crusaders, were given Malta by Emperor Charles V after they
were expelled from first Palestine and then the island of Rhodes by the Ottoman
Emperor.
Their first capital was
the city of Mdina.
It’s a walled
city with only 650 residents today.
The only cars allowed within the walls are ones delivering things and
then only at certain times of the day.
The place is tranquil and the streets are lined with palaces built by
the knights in a variety of styles.
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Quiet street in Mdina |
Supposedly St. Paul was shipwrecked on Malta on his way to
Rome.
During his stay on the
island he converted the Roman governor Publius to Christianity. Publius became
the first Bishop of Malta.
This
archway over a gate in Mdina depicts St. Paul in the middle, Publius on the left
and St. Agatha on the right.
In Mdina is one of the co-cathedrals of Malta.
In preparation for the Feast of St.
George which is a big day on Malta,
the interior walls of the cathedral had been draped in red silk damask
and the silver and gold had all been highly polished.
The plain exterior of the building was a real contrast to
the resplendent interior.
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Main altar in the Cathedral |
When the Knights occupied Malta they continued naval attacks
against the Turks. Knowing that eventually they would be attacked by the
latter, they built fortifications at a rapid pace. The attack came in 1565 when Suleiman the Magnificent
attacked with 40,000 troops. The
Knights who numbered 541 along with several thousand brave but untrained
Maltese held off the Turks for 4 months until help finally arrived from
Sicily. Suleiman retreated in
defeat with 30,000 of his men killed.
The next two centuries were relatively peaceful and the
Knights rebuilt fortifications and constructed 2 magnificent cathedrals.
Then along came Napoleon in 1798.
He was on his way to Egypt but stopped
for 6 days in Malta and left some troops behind.
During the next 2 years the French looted many of the
treasures on the island to the chagrin of the Maltese.
In 1800 they had enough and they
revolted.
They also invited the
English under Lord Nelson to help them.
The French were ousted and for the next 160 years Malta became part of
the British Empire.
The
relationship was evidently a good one.
Unfortunately, though, because it was British and in a strategic location,
Malta suffered heavy bombing during WWII.
It was said that in one two day period Malta received as many bombs as
London did during a two month period. Malta became independent in 1964, a
republic in 1974, and today is part of the European Union.
With a population of around 250,000 it
has an unemployment rate of just over 2%.
The principal industry is tourism.
As a fan of “The Maltese Falcon,”
I looked for a connection.
I saw this on a wall in Mdina.