The island nation of Malta is chock full of white-sand beaches, great hotels, cool restaurants, and other places that will truly let you enjoy your holidays to Malta. But aside from leisure, there are various sites in Malta that will provide you an interesting and enlightening insight of the island nation’s culture. Drop by these historical and old sites when you are in Malta.
1. St John’s Co-Cathedral
This magnificent Medieval cathedral in Valetta is featured in a painting done by world-renowned Italian artist Michelangelo Merisi da Caravaggio. The interior of the cathedral boasts of magnificent high-Baroque architecture with detailed carvings that decorate every wall. The vaulted ceiling has a painting that depicts the life of St. John the Baptist. The cathedral is also famous for the 369 inlaid mosaic marble tombstones that dot the floor, tombstones that mark the resting places of past Grand Masters of the Order of St. John.
2. Three Cities
The coastal cities of Cospicua, Vittoriosa, and Senglea form the heavily fortified conglomeration known as Three Cities. Three Cities is dotted with old churches, museums, and promontories. See the old Inns of the Knights of St. John, an old hospital constructed by the Order in 1672, and a well-preserved Benedictine covenant maintained by devout nuns. The Three Cities visually speak of the history, culture, and religion of Malta.
3. The Hypogeum
Head off to the suburb of Paolo and check out the ruins of a complex system of chambers that were carved into limestone. The ruins, called the Hypogeum, were believed to be a 500-decade old burial site, temple, and shelter during the times of old. Archaeologists have been able to unearth statues, amulets, vases, and other items around the Hypogeum. The artifacts are presently housed in the Archaeology Museum of Valleta, which is another attraction in itself. The Hypogeum is now declared as a UNESCO World Heritage site.
4. Ggantija Temples
Head out to the village of Xaghra where you can find twohuge and mysterious megaliths that were carved by pre-Phoenician Gozitans into places of worship. Old tales tell that a huge female giant named Sansuna carried these megaliths to the village. Marvel at the colossal stone blocks and balls and ask yourself; how did the ancients make these enormous structures?
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