Malta: a crossroads in the middle of the sea
What comes to mind when you hear the word Malta? Most of my friends would think of gentlemen, the Mediterranean Sea, and a beautiful beach vacation. True enough, Malta is all of 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 must look at its 7000 years of 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 on the other side of the street.’ This is why Malta is fascinating: 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 the British heritage not only in the design of the old telephone boxes and mailboxes, but also in the legal and political systems. Interested in the Italian influence on the Maltese lifestyle? Walk down one of the narrow streets of any town in Malta and listen to the sound coming from the open windows. Yes, you do, it is most likely an Italian RAI program or one of Berlusconi’s television channels.
The modern Maltese language is another feature of the island that leaves you wondering. 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, the strong influence of Italian and English is heard in almost every sentence. Some sources affirm that the roots of the language are in the Arab dominion during centuries IX-XI. I am stubbornly prone to believe that it has something to do with the Phoenician heritage of the Maltese.
Navigating the pages of Maltese history we can take a look at 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 that separated the western “Mediterranean” lake from the eastern 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 in the first millennium BC, the ancient Greeks, trade savvy Phoenicians settled on the island and used it as an outpost for their trading activities between their large colony of Cartage and southern 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. C. with a capital, 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 behind numerous artifacts, including many Renaissance and Baroque buildings. Thanks to these gentlemen in the narrow streets of present-day Mdina, you feel like taking a walk through an authentic medieval city. After the brief invasion of the French on their way to Egypt in 1798, the island became part of the British Empire. Some of the most conspicuous traces left by the British are driving on the left and English, the nation’s second official language.
What used to come to my mind when I heard the name Malta? Perhaps the Bush-Gorbachev summit in 1989? Well, seriously, I admit that the gentlemen 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 that people frequently refer to the international airport as “Valletta airport” or the national stadium as “Valletta stadium”. Neither is true, I’m afraid. I can see the bewilderment of many: why? It’s just that the 316-square-kilometer island hides a lot to discover. Or let me rephrase: Malta has exhibited under open skies so much to be seen. And hey, this was just a glimpse into Maltese history, did I mention scuba diving? …