What comes to your mind when you hear the word Malta?
Most of my friends would think of the knights, the Mediterranean Sea
and a lovely beach holiday. Very true, Malta is all of these: the
knights of St. John found shelter on the island and ruled it for
several hundred years; the tiny nation of 400,000 inhabitants occupies
even tinier fortress island in the heart of the Mediterranean Sea and
yes, Malta is a famous travel destination. Still, there is so much more
to be discovered about Malta. For one thing, we could easily describe
it as soaked with history piece of land.
In order to get an idea
of how diverse Malta is we need to look at its 7000 years of history.
So many cultures have blended on this island that you could easily say
it is a natural focal point where European, Mediterranean and Oriental
worlds meet. I like to say: ‘If Sicily is just around the corner,
Tunisia is across the road’. That is why Malta is fascinating: so many
different people came here and not only took (Napoleon was a famous
taker) but also left something, namely their mark on the Maltese
eclectic culture. For instance, you can see the British heritage not
only in the design of the old telephone booths and post boxes but also
in the legal and political systems. Interested in the Italian influence
on the Maltese way of life? Walk on one of the narrow streets in any
Maltese village and listen to the sound coming out of the open windows.
Yes, you’ve got it - most probably it is some Italian show on RAI or
one of the Berlusconi’s TV 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 Latin alphabet. The
Tunisians and other Arabs would understand quite a bit of the local
dialect. On the other hand you hear the heavy influence of Italian and
English in almost every sentence. Some sources affirm the roots of the
language are to be found in the Arabic rule during 9th-11th centuries.
Stubbornly, I am prone to believe that it has something to do with the
Phoenician heritage of the Maltese.
Browsing the Maltese history
pages we get a glimpse on 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 inner lake. The Maltese islands
were a tip of a mountain dividing the western “Mediterranean” lake from
the eastern one. The island boasts with well preserved heritage from
these prehistoric times; the Neolithic temples and the UNESCO protected
Hypogeum are good examples. After the colonisation by the omnipresent
in the 1st Millennium BC Ancient Greeks, the commercially-savvy
Phoenicians settled on the island and used it as an outpost for their
commercial activities between their great colony of Cartage and
Southern Italy. After the Punic wars the island became a thriving Roman
province and later on fell under the control of the Greek-speaking
Byzantine Empire.
At the end of 9th century the Arabs conquered
the islands and ruled until 1090 AD with a capital Mdina. The
magnificent fortress of the so-called Silent City was further fortified
by the knights of St. John. They ruled the island from 1530 to 1798 and
shaped the European features of Malta leaving numerous artifacts,
including many Renaissance and Baroque buildings. Thanks to these
gentlemen on the narrow streets of nowadays Mdina you feel like taking
a stroll in a real medieval town. Following 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 the left-hand driving and the English - the nations’ second
official language.
What used to come in my mind when I heard the
name Malta? The Bush - Gorbachev summit in 1989 maybe? Well, seriously,
I admit the knights and the capital Valletta were first to pop up. In
fact, Valletta is so inextricably associated with the notion of Malta
that I’ve noticed people frequently referring to the international
airport as ‘Valletta airport’ or to the national stadium as ‘Valletta
stadium’. I am afraid that neither is true. I can see the bewilderment
of many: How come? It is just that the island of 316 sq km hides so
much to be discovered. Or let me rephrase: Malta has put on display
under the open skies so much to be seen. And hey, this was just a
glimpse on the Maltese history , did I mention diving?…
About the author
Boyan Yordanof is in the tourism business since 1996. His main interests are in Internet Marketing and more specifically Service Branding in the Hospitality Industry. Boyan is an Internet Marketing Executive at RIU Seabank Hotel Malta.
Author Links
Business URL: http://www.seabankhotel.com
Personal URL: http://www.boboxjordan.com
