Heritage Special Interest
As Malta has a very rich history, for its small size and as travelling distances are very short, we can organise an excursion concentrated on just one period or covering a few periods either, for groups or individuals. Please find to follow some information from just 3 periods from Malta’s History, Ask us for more info.
Prehistoric Temples
In about the fourth millennium BC, when the Egyptians were turning their hands to pyramids but still a thousand years before civilisation began, the Maltese were engaged in the construction of the great megalithic temples. Skorba was probably the first but it was soon surpassed by Ggantija temples on Gozo and Mnajdra and Hagar Qim on Malta proper.
The temples were an assembly of massive slabs of rock over 6 meters, sometimes embellished with carvings which were sophisticated for their time. The archaeological monuments surviving on the Maltese islands attracted interest from a very early age, and many people visited, wondered at, and speculated about them. These awesome temples are probably unequalled anywhere in the world and considering the ravages of time, some are remarkably well-preserved.
Military History of Malta
(From the Order of the Knights of St. John to the 2nd World War)
The history of the Knights is a history of fortifications. When the Knights arrived in Malta in 1530, they were, in addition to being fortress builders, the possessors of one of the most aggressive naval fleets in the Mediterranean.
Malta lay in a strategic position commanding the channel through which all shipping from the East and West had to cross. It possessed fine landlocked harbours which were protected from the sudden Mediterranean gales.
The epic story of the Turkish siege is well-known. Victory for the Knights was achieved through the sacrifice of Fort St. Elmo to buy time and to defend them in the city of Birgu. With victory came the opportunity to build a new capital: Valletta.
To counteract the effect of the increased range of the guns it was also necessary to push the defences further out and so increase the area of fortified ground between the city and the front lines.
The elaborate defences built by the Knights were never tested and in 1798 Napoleon walked in unopposed as the Knights were bundled out of Malta. In 1800 the British were requested by the Maltese to help oust the French.
As a result of their naval supremacy in the Mediterranean, they were now responsible to garrison, maintain and defend this stronghold in the Middle Sea. Embarrassed by the extent of the Maltese fortifications, the British set out to strengthen the gateways of Valletta and to build fortifications to strengthen the defence of the Grand Harbour where large naval ships lay at anchor. Large new cannons were forged in England and shipped to Malta where new gun platforms had to be constructed. By 1850, about 332 pieces of artillery were defending Malta making it a pivot of imperial defence.
Cultural Venues
A succession of civilisations has left their mark and the Maltese Islands have been rewarded with a rich heritage, so rich that we can often shake hands with history. From prehistoric inhabitants up to the British – all must have left their mark on Malta’s cultural development.
Musical activity commenced on the islands from the Roman period since Malta was a central port of call visited for various reasons. With the arrival of the Knights in 1530 life in Malta radically changed as the Knights, who hailed from noble families of Europe, were accustomed to living a lifestyle not previouly known on these islands.
Cultural activity began to flourish as the Knights embraced fashionable trends. In the early 19th century formal balls took place in the Manoel Theatre and the Palace as a result of the presence of the British with the theatre enjoying an unchallenged position as Malta’s leading cultural centre. In 1968 Malta’s national orchestra was set up with its main function being to provide the public with regular concerts. Band club associations also played an important part in the cultural and music life of these islands.
The remarkable significance of Malta in this respect can be illustrated by the number of WHS 
sites identified by UNESCO. Malta must occupy a primate position in the world: with three existing inscriptions relating to the archaeological sites, including Neolithic temples, the Hypogeum, and since 1980, the entre city of Valletta. Future inscriptions are the Grand Harbour’s fortifications inclusive of the “three cities”.