What comes to mind when you hear the word Malta? Most of my friends would think of the gentlemen, the Mediterranean Sea and a beautiful beach vacation. Very true, Malta is all this: the Knights of Saint John found refuge on the island and ruled it for several hundred years; the tiny nation of 400,000 occupies an even smaller fortress island in the heart of the Mediterranean Sea and yes, Malta is a famous tourist destination. Still, there is much more to discover about Malta. On the one hand, we could easily describe it as a piece of land steeped in history.
To get an idea of how diverse Malta is, we need to look at its 7,000-year history. So many cultures have mixed on this island that it could easily be said that it is a natural focal point where the European, Mediterranean and Eastern worlds meet. I like to say: ‘If Sicily is around the corner, Tunisia is across the street.’ That’s why Malta is fascinating: so many different people came here and not only drank (Napoleon was a famous drinker), but also left something, namely their mark on the eclectic Maltese culture. For example, you can see British heritage not only in the design of old phone boxes and mailboxes, but also in the legal and political systems. Are you interested in the Italian influence on the Maltese way of life? Walk down one of the narrow streets of any Maltese town and listen to the sound coming out of the open windows. Yes, you do, most likely some Italian program on RAI or one of Berlusconi’s TV channels.
The modern Maltese language is another jaw-dropping feature of the island. It is the only Semitic language in the world written in the Latin alphabet. Tunisians and other Arabs would quite understand the local dialect. On the other hand, you hear the strong influence of Italian and English in almost every sentence. Some sources claim that the roots of the language lie in Arabic rule during the 9th-11th centuries. Stubbornly, I am inclined to believe that it has something to do with the Phoenician heritage of the Maltese.
By browsing the pages of Maltese history, we can catch a glimpse of the most significant periods. There was a time when the Mediterranean Sea was not connected to the Atlantic Ocean by the Strait of Gibraltar and was an inland lake. The Maltese islands were the tip of a mountain dividing the western from the eastern “Mediterranean” lake. The island has a well-preserved heritage from these prehistoric times; Neolithic temples and the UNESCO-protected hypogeum are good examples. After colonization by the ubiquitous ancient Greeks in the first millennium BC, the commercially savvy Phoenicians settled the island and used it as an outpost for their trading activities between their large colony of Carthage and southern Europe. Italy. After the Punic Wars, the island became a prosperous Roman province and later fell under the control of the Greek-speaking Byzantine Empire.
At the end of the 9th century the Arabs conquered the islands and ruled until 1090 AD with their capital at Mdina. The magnificent fortress of the so-called Silent City was further strengthened by the Knights of Saint John. They ruled the island from 1530 to 1798 and shaped Malta’s European characteristics by leaving many artifacts, including many Renaissance and Baroque buildings. Thanks to these gentlemen in the narrow streets of today’s Mdina, you feel like taking a walk through an authentic medieval city. Following the brief invasion by the French on their way to Egypt in 1798, the island became part of the British Empire. Some of the most conspicuous footprints left by the British are left-hand drive and English, the nation’s second official language.
What used to come to mind when I heard the name of Malta? Perhaps the Bush-Gorbachev summit in 1989? Well, seriously, I admitted that the knights and the capital Valletta were the first to appear. In fact, Valletta is so inextricably associated with the notion of Malta that I have noticed people frequently refer to the international airport as ‘Valletta Airport’ or the national stadium as ‘Valletta Stadium’. I’m afraid neither is true. I can see the bewilderment of many: How come? It’s just that the 316 square kilometer island hides a lot to discover. Or let me rephrase: Malta has exhibited under the open sky much to see. And hey, this was just a glimpse into the history of Malta, did I mention diving?…
