Malta - Rare Attractions

After some new immigrants arrived in Malta, the so called Temple Culture developed around 4000 BC. The first temples were constructed about 3600 BC. Ggantija in Xaghra (Gozo) is one of them. The temples were built with huge stone blocks and almost always consist of a number of trefoil shaped rooms, interconnected by a corridor.

The most visited temples in Malta are
Ggantija in Xaghra (Gozo)
Hagar Qim and Mnajdra, close to the village of Qrendi
Tarxien.

There are many other temple remains in Malta. Some are closed to the public, others are accessible. A good tourist map will show the location of most of them.

In the year 60 AD an event took place that is comprehensively described in the Bible: the shipwreck of the apostle Paul (Acts of the Apostles 27 and 28) . According to the legend this shipwreck took place at St. Paul's Bay. Saint Paul stayed in Malta for three months and performed a number of miracles, like the healing of the father of Publius, the Roman governor. Publius became the first bishop of Malta. Tradition has it, that St. Paul converted the Maltese to christianity, but there is no historical evidence to prove it. The first signs of the existence of a christian community in Malta date back to not earlier than the fourth century. Nevertheless Saint Paul is regarded as the one who brought christianity to Malta; Saint Paul is the patron saint of Malta and the cathedral of Mdina is dedicated to him.

The old city of Mdina still bears a touch of its Arab past: walking through the narrow streets it almost feels like being in a serene version of a North-African town. Yet Mdina has much more remains from more recent times: the late Middle Ages and the 18th century. The Maltese language is a descendent of the Arab dialect that was spoken here during the early Middle Ages, although many Maltese prefer to give it a Phoenician origin. The language is extensively influenced by Italian and English, causing Maltese to be a mixture. Yet the language is a Semitic language, so it is related to Arabic and Hebrew. Maltese is quite a unique language: it is the only Semitic language written with the Latin alphabeth. For most visitors Maltese will be abracadabra , but don't worry: almost all Maltese speak fluent English, the second official language of the country.

The Mdina was the capital of Malta until the arrival of the Knights. Mdina is situated inland and was not a suitable capital for the Knights, since they possessed a fleet. For that reason they settled in the small town of Birgu, at one of the natural harbours of Malta, the Grand Harbour. Already after several years it became too small and in 1554 the Knights built the city of Senglea, opposite Birgu at the same bay. Confrontations with the Turks were unevitable. In 1551 Tripoli fell into Turkish hands and Gozo was heavily ransacked. This was followed by a severe siege of Birgu and Senglea in 1565, recorded in history as the Great Siege . Malta was within an ace of being occupied by the Turks, but on the 8th of September they withdrew. The fact that the Knights withstood the Great Siege gave them new courage. Already the year after they started building a new fortified city, the city of Valletta, named after the Grandmaster of those days, Jean Parisot de la Valette, the leader of the Order.

Resorts on Malta island Gozo

Vizit to Malta, island Gozo.

The Republic of Malta is a small but heavily populated island nation in the middle of the Mediterranean. Consisting of 7 islands it is a popular tourist resort due to it's tropical climate, exciting nightlife, and a history dating back thousands of years.

Some fotos

If you can drive, then hire a car, its quite cheap and the bonus is that Gozitans drive on the same side of the road as the uk. The island is relatively small so there is no chance of getting lost, the roads are not that busy, although if you pass throught the capital of Rabat (Victoria) then sometimes there is a gentle build up of traffic. The Citadel in Rabat is well worth a visit, the church is beautiful (although if you visit the churches in Gozo it is respectful for men to wear trousers and a top and for women to cover their shoulders, no shorts!) there is also a jail where the English Knights were imprisoned. You are able to go inside and see their engravings on the walls. Rabat also has a market situated opposite the Citadel. Banks are available and ATM machines, newsagents and jewellers. There are locations to pick up herb-infused Gozo cheese, quite rich and excellent..

If you like visiting churches then you have to go to Xewkia and visit the church in the main square which has one of the biggest domes in Europe. Its absolutely massive, but totally awesome.

And then there is Ta Pinu in Gharb. A fantastic building both inside and out and the history of Ta Pinu is interesting, a must do visit, especially for the religious amongst you.
Xlendi is well worth a visit, it is a lovely bay resort, with mostly hotels, and many restaurants along the sea front, including a chinese restaurant. Take a walk around the bay and see lovely views.
Ramla Bay is a lovely sandy beach and has a couple of bar/snack shacks on the beach, which do an excellent English breakfast. Also you can visit Calypso's Cave which overlooks Ramla beach. Alternatively a short drive away in Qala you can see the Island of Comino and the blue lagoon.
The visit to the azure window was a bit of a let down, lots of coaches and mini buses and men trying to sell you postcards, although there is a tiny church perched nearby which I enjoyed more than looking at a hole in the rocks! This area is, however, a major attraction for scuba divers, with some of the most brilliantly colored coral.
To explore the Island you really need a car, that way you have the freedom to explore all the hidden coves (beware sometimes the roads are very steep.) Marlasforn near Xaghra is (in my opinion) is not worth visiting, it is spoilt by nasty looking buildings and appartments which remind me of Spain and lots of Brits out on the lash. Apparantly this is the place to go if you are young and want that sort of holiday, but for the rest of us who prefer a mediteranean country to retain its history, and its way of life, with its beautiful rustic buildings and farmhouses best stick to Xaghra. Xaghra being my choice to stay, due to its wide choice of farmhouses to rent, a busy and friendly town square with great restaurants and a couple of bars. There is also a few supermarkets scattered around with excellent deli's.There are lots of diving schools available if you like that sort of thing, Malta and Gozo are renowned for excellent diving

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