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ABOUT MALTA 
The Early History l Knights of St.John l Tourist attractions I Check weather in Malta I Map of Malta
 Malta is a small country in the middle of the Mediterranean situated just below Sicily. It has a diverse cultural and historical legacy ranging from the era of the Megalithic temples, Phoenicians, Romans and Arabs up to the British colonial period which ended in 1964 when Malta gained Independence and in 1979 when it became a Republic.
The Early History  modified from Wikepedia
Man first arrived in Malta around 5200 BC. These first Neolithic people probably arrived from Sicily (about 100 kilometres/60 miles north), and were mainly farming and fishing communities, with some evidence of hunting activities. They apparently lived in caves and open dwellings. During the centuries that followed there is evidence of further contacts with other cultures, which left their influence on the local communities, evidenced by their pottery designs and colours.
One of the most notable periods of Malta's history is the temple period, starting around 3600 BC. Malta's prehistoric temples are the oldest free-standing buildings in the world and are renowned worldwide as a world heritage. They seem to focus around a cult of a Mother figure and goddess of fertility. Many of the temples are in the form of five semicircular rooms connected at the centre. It has been suggested that these might have represented the head, arms and legs of a deity, since one of the commonest kinds of statue found in these temples is a fat woman — a symbol of fertility. The Temple period lasted until about 2500 BC, at which point the civilisation that raised these huge monoliths seems to have disappeared. There is much speculation about what might have happened and whether they were completely wiped out or assimilated.
After the Temple period came the Bronze Age. From this period we have remains of a number of settlements and villages, as well as dolmens, alter-like structures made out of very large slabs of stonel. Among the most intersting and mysterious remnants of this era are the so-called cart ruts. These are pairs of parrallel channels cut into the surface of the rock, and extending for considerable distances, often in an exactly straight line. Their exact use is unknown. One suggestion is that beasts of burden used to pull carts along, and these channels would guide the carts and prevent the animals from straying.
Through the ages the shelterd harbours of Malta have been an attraction to a diverse number of races and cultures including the Phoenicians, the Romans, Arabs and Franks. St.Paul is also said to have been shipwrecked in Malta in the year 60 A.D. and it was this event which influenced the traditional Maltese strong Christian ties and faith. After the collapse of the Roman Empire Malta came under Byzantine influence, until it was occupied in 870 AD from Sicily by the Arabs. The Arab domination was of great importance to Malta. New irrigation techniques and new crops were introduced, like citrus fruits and cotton. Also the habit of protecting the fields against erosion by means of small rubble walls dates back to Arab times. Ever since the rubble walls dominate the Maltese countryside. The old Roman city of Melita was reduced in size for a better defence. The city inside the new walls was called the medina , which means 'fortified city', whilst the rest of the city outside the walls was called rabat or 'suburb'. The place named Mdina and Rabat are only two of many other names of Arabic origin.
In 1090 Malta was occupied by Count Roger the Norman from his stronghold in Sicily. He did not succeed in establishing a permanent rule during his reign, but his son Roger II did manage to do so in 1127. Regularly Malta changed owners: the German Hohenstaufen, the Angevins, Barcelona and Aragon - they were all ruling the islands. When Aragon united with Castile in 1479, Malta became part of the Spanish Empire. Malta was a feudal state: the administration of the country was in the hands of the local nobility, that was mainly from Sicilian and Spanish origin. They had their own governing council both on Malta as well as on Gozo: the Università . Mdina remained the most important city on the island, the place where most of the noble families used to live - and still live nowadays. At the beginning of the 16th century, the power of the Turkish Empire under Süleyman I expanded over South East Europe. The Turks were in fact at the city walls of Vienna and Charles V, the Spanish king, feared that they reach Rome from Southern-Italy. If Rome would fall into the hands of the Turks it could mean the end of catholic Europe. In 1530 Charles V, took a strategic decision to prevent this: he handed Malta over to the Knights of St. John, who had been expelled from Rhodes in 1522 by the Turks. This decision was going to have great consequences for the history of Malta.
The Knights of St.John
 Thus started one of the most prominent eras in the history of Malta...that of the Knights of St.John (also known as the Knights Hospallers and the Knights of Mata). The origin of the Order of the Knights of St. John dates back to about 900 years ago in Jerusalem. In those days the trade between Europe and the Middle-East was dominated by Italian merchants. The tradesmen of the Italian town of Amalfi obtained permission to erect a chapel and a hospital in Jerusalem, dedicated to St. John the Baptist and intended for the spiritual and physical needs of merchants and pilgrims. When the Crusades started, the crusaders as well could rely on the Hospitallers of St. John. In exchange the Hospitallers received newly conquered territories, which had to be defended. Thus the military task of the Order of St. John developed. In 1113 the Order was recognized by the Pope and it became an official military monastic order. The Order of St. John was driven away by the Arabs, and later on by the Turks, and had to retreat in the direction of Europe. In 1187 they settled in Acre, in 1291 they were driven to Cyprus and from there to Rhodes in 1306. Also Rhodes fell into the hands of the Turks in 1522. Eight years later Charles V offered them Malta, Gozo and Tripoli, for the symbolic price of one falcon a year.
During their stay in Malta the Knights left a rich architercural and artistic heritage including a number of palaces, cathedrals, and bastions. Apart from being renowned for their bravery and prowess in battle, the Knights were also a nursing brotherhood and the Sacra Infermeria in Valletta (the capital city built after the Great Siege of 1565) was claimed to be one of the best hospitals in Europe araound the 16th and mid-17th century. This hospital could take between 600 and up to 2000 patients in an emergency, something quite unusual for the 16th century. It also had the longest unsupported hall in Europe. The hospital was built by the sea to bring in any wounded knights or sailors from the Order's galleys with minimal inconvenience. In hospital all the patients were given the same high standard, irrispective of race, political standing or religion. The Grandmasters took it in turn to serve the patients themselves once a week and used silver plates for hygienic purposes. Another improvement as against other hospitals of the time, was that the knights only nursed one patient in each bed and changed linnen regularly. This may seem as basic common sense for us but in those times, certain European hospitals were keeping 2-4 patients in one bed!
Perhaps one of the epic events in the history of Malta was the Great Siege of 1565 when a large army of about 30.000- 40,000 Ottoman Turks invaded Malta in an attempt to banish the Knights who were causing havoc to their fleet. The Knights were very able seamen and over the years they had began raiding and looting the Turkish cargo ships, returning back to the ports of Malta laden with booty. The Great Siege was thus the Ottoman Empire's move to gain a foothold upon the 'soft underbelly' of Europe so as to open the way for the conquest of Sicily and also a chance to exterminate the Knights of Malta once and for all. The Knights on their part had about 9,000 fighting men and were led by the most able and hardy Grandmaster in the history of the Order- Jean Parisot de La Vallette- a Frenchman, who at the time of the Siege was 70 years old. The Great Siege is an epic story of courage, bravery and breathtaking heroism during which the Knights and Maltese had suffer great hardships and ferocius wave upon wave of attacks by the elite troops of the Sultan. Many were the times when the battles hung in balance and during one time the 70 year old Grandmaster himself led a counter attack on one of the bastions that had fallen and managed to rally his knights so that the bastion was cleared, during which time he injured himself in the leg. However, after four months of continuous siege and attacks the Siege finally ended when a force of about 8,000 soldiers and knights managed to evade the Turkish sea patrols and land in Malta from Siciliy to relieve the corageous defenders who had been under siege for four months under the scorching sun of the Maltese summer. The Ottoman Turks retreated after sustaining an incredible loss of life and the whole of Europe showered praises on the Grandmaster La Vallette and the Order for stopping the unremitting advance of the Ottomans in Europe. After the Great Siege, Valletta the capital city was built and was embellished by a number of architectural and artistic gems including the Co-Cathedral of St.John. Over the next 200 years after the Great Siege, Malta remained under the Knights. Unlike other rulers of the island, the Order of St. John did not have a "home country" outside the island. The island became their home, so they invested in it more heavily than any other power. Besides, its members came from noble families, and had amassed considerable fortune due to their services in the route to the Holy Land. The architectural and artistic remains of this period remain among the greatest of Malta's history, especially in their "prize jewel" — the city of Valletta.However, as their main raison d'être had ceased to exist, the Order's glory days were over.
French conquest
Over the years, the power of the Knights declined; their reign ended when Malta whe Napoleon Bonaparte fleet arrived in 1798, en route to his expedition of Egypt. As a ruse, Napoleon asked for safe harbor to resupply his ships, and then turned his guns against his hosts once safely inside Valetta. Grand Master Hompesch capitulated, and Napoleon stayed in Malta for a few days during which he systematically looted the moveable assets of the Order and established an administration controlled by his nominees. He then sailed for Egypt leaving a substantial garrison in Malta. Since the Order had also been growing unpopular with the local Maltese, the latter initially viewed the French with optimism. This illusion did not last long. Within months the French were closing convents and seizing church treasures. The Maltese people rebelled, and the French garrison of General Vaubois retreated into Valletta. After several failed attempts by the locals to retake Valletta, they asked the British for assistance. Rear Admiral Lord Lord Nelson decided on a total blockade, and in 1800 the French garrison surrendered.
British rule
In 1800, Malta voluntarily became part of the British Empire. Although initially the island was not given much importance, its excellent harbours became a prized asset for the British especially after the opening of the Suez Canal. The island became a military and naval fortress, the headquarters of the British Mediterranean fleet. Home rule was refused to the Maltese however, and the locals suffered considerable poverty. In 1919, there were riots over the excessive price of bread. These would lead to greater autonomy for the locals. Malta obtained a bicameral parliament with a Senate (abolished in 1949) and an elected Legislative Assembly, although the Constitution was often suspended.
Language issue
Before the arrival of the British, the language of the educated elite had been Italian but this was increasingly downgraded by the increased use of English. In 1934, English and Maltese were declared the sole official languages. The British associated Italian with the Mussolini regime in Italy, which had made territorial claims on the islands, although the use of Italian by nationalists was more out of cultural affinities with Italy than any sympathy with Italian Fascism.
World War II
Before World War II, Valletta was the location of the Royal Navy's Mediterranean Fleet's headquarters. However, despite Winston Churchill's objections, the command was moved to Alexandria, Egypt, during the mid-1930s. At the time of the Italian declaration of war (June 10, 1940), Malta had a garrison of less than four thousand soldiers and about five weeks' of food supplies for the population of about three hundred thousand. In addition, Malta's air defences consisted of about fourty-two anti-aircraft guns (thirty-four "heavy" and eight "light") and four Gloster Gladiators, for which three pilots were available.
Being a British colony, situated close to Sicily and the Axis shipping lanes, Malta was bombarded by the Italian and German air forces. Malta was used by the British to launch attacks on the Italian navy and had a submarine base. It was also used as a listening post, reading German radio messages including Enigma traffic.
The first air raids against Malta occurred on 11th June 1940; there were six attacks that day. The island's biplanes were unable to defend due to the Luqa airfield being unfinished; however, the airfield was ready by the seventh attack. Initially, the Italians would fly at about 5,500 m, then they dropped down to three thousand metres (in order to improve the accuracy of their bombs). Major Paine stated, "[After they dropped down], we bagged one or two every other day, so they started coming in at [six thousand metres]. Their bombing was never very accurate. As they flew higher it became quite indiscriminate."
By the end of August, the Gladiators were reinforced by twelve Hawker Hurricanes which had arrived via the HMS Argus. During the first five months of combat, the island's aircraft destroyed or damaged about thirty-seven Italian aircraft. On Malta, 330 people had been killed and 297 were seriously wounded. In January 1941, the German Fliegerkorps X arrived in Sicily as the Afrika Korps arrived in Libya.
On 15th April 1942, King Geroge VI awarded the George Cross (the highest civilian award for gallantry) "to the island fortress of Malta — its people and defenders." President Franklin Roosevelt, describing the wartime period, called Malta "one tiny bright flame in the darkness."
Attempted integration with the United Kingdom
After the war, the islands were given self-rule, with the Maltese Labour Party (MLP) of Dom Mintoff favouring closer integration with the United Kingdom, and the Nationalist Party (PN) of Dr. George Borg Olivier favouring further independence.
In December 1955, a Round Table Conference was held in London, on the future of Malta, attended by Mintoff, Borg Olivier and other Maltese politicians, along with the British Colonial Secretary, Alan Lennox-Boyd. The British government agreed to offer the islands their own representation in theBritish House of Commons, with the Home Office taking over responsibility for Maltese affairs from the Colonial Office.
Under the proposals, the Maltese Parliament would retain responsibility over all affairs except defence, foreign policy, and taxation. The Maltese were also to have social and economic parity with the UK, to be guaranteed by the British Ministry of Defence (MoD), the islands' main source of employment. This received overwhelming support in a referendum on 14th February, 1956 , although a boycott by the PN and the Roman Catholic Church meant that the result was inconclusive. Further disagreement with the MLP over finance lead to the talks breaking down in 1958, with direct rule being imposed by London.
Malta was the only British colony where integration with the UK was seriously considered, and subsequent British governments have ruled out integration for remaining overseas territories, such as Gibraltar.
Independence
It was soon clear that the locals now favoured independence, and on 21st September, 1964, Malta became an independent state. Malta remained in the Commonwealth and recognised the Queen as head of state. Dom Mintoff became Prime Minister again in 1971 and moved towards loosening ties with the United Kingdom and pursuing a non-aligned foreign policy, establishing close ties with Libya. The Maltese pound - now called the Maltese Lira (LM) - ended its link with the Pound Sterling. Malta became a republic in 1974, with the last Governor-General, Sir Anthony Mamo, as its first President. In 1979 the last British forces left the island.
Mintoff remained Prime Minister until 1984, Labour then lost to the PN in 1987, now led by Eddie Fenech Adami. The PN sought to improve Malta's ties with Western Europe and the United States.
EU Membership
Fenech Adami also advocated Malta's membership of the European Union(EU). This became a divisive issue, with Labour being opposed. The PN government fell in 1996, and Labour's Alfred Sant, now Prime Minister, withdrew Malta's application for EU membership. The PN returned to power in 1998, and reapplied for EU membership. A referendum on EU membership in 2003 saw a small majority in favour of membership, although Labour stated that it would not be bound by the result were it returned to power in the forthcoming general election that year. However, the PN was returned to office, and Malta joined the EU in May 2004.
Tourist Attractions
Malta and its sister islands Gozo and Comino boast a sunny, warm climate, pristine beaches, quaint fishing villages and a varied and vibrant night life. Malta is also a scuba diver’s paradise and areas around the north of Malta and Gozo are very popular diving sites. Summer nights are also renowned for the traditional Maltese festas (village feasts) and the open-air restaurants and parties. The hotels and restaurants in Malta are also of a high standard and tourism is one of the main economic backbones of the country. Places of interest to visit include the capital city of Valletta with its mixture of hitory, culture and trendy shopping, the Co-Cathedral of St.John, the 'silent' old city of Mdina, Birgu with its fort of St.Angelo and yacht marina, the Megalithic temples and hypogeum and the fishing village of Marsaxlokk. Paceville and Sliema are the mecca of night-life for those who like to stay out long at night.
About Comino and Gozo
Gozo and Comino are the sister islands of Malta, separated by a stretch of water called 'Il-Fliegu'.
 Comino is a small island which has two of the most beautiful bays of the country, namely the Blue Lagoon and Santa Marija. The Blue Lagoon is very popular in summer and day excursions to this crystal clear bay are available from Malta. There is also a hotel on the island for those who want to get away from it all and have a relaxing holiday, with the opportunity to try out scuba diving and other water sports.
 Gozo is an island with a characteristic of its own and is a haven for those who want a relaxing holiday. It is renowned for its luxurous farmhouses with private swimming pools that can be rented, most of them overlooking valleys with stunning views. It is also the mecca of scuba diving and groups of divers come specifically to Gozo to dive in its pristine waters. Places to visit include the 'Cittadella' (the old walled city), The Ggantija Neolithic temples, the 'Azure Window', the bays of Marsalforn and Xlendi. An interesting place to visit, especially for those with an orthopaedic background is the church of Ta' Pinu which houses a lot of orthopaedic splints and other artefacts left by devotees of the Holy Mary of ta' Pinu as a thanksgiving for their recovery after intercessioary prayer.
A visit to Malta and Gozo may be well worth it especially if you like sunshine, fun, water sports, history, culture and that nostalgic feeling that small villages in places like Gozo can induce in those of us who want time out and relaxation.
The best site to check for a calendar of cultural and historic enactment events is the Malta Tourist Authority where you can also download brochures about Malta. Visit their site on:
http://www.visitmalta.com/
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About Malta 
