UNESCO World Heritage Sites in Malta

UNESCO's Description

The Hypogeum is an enormous subterranean structure excavated c. 2500 B.C., using cyclopean rigging to lift huge blocks of coralline limestone. Perhaps originally a sanctuary, it became a necropolis in prehistoric times.

From the UNESCO World Heritage Centre (CC BY-SA IGO 3.0).

History

The Hypogeum was discovered by accident in 1902 when workers cutting cisterns for a new housing development broke through its roof. The workers tried to hide the temple at first, but eventually it was found. The study of the structure was first conducted by Manuel Magri, who directed the excavations on behalf of the Museums Committee, starting from November 1903. During the excavations, a portion of the contents of the Hypogeum, including grave goods and human remains, were emptied out and discarded without being properly catalogued. Magri's death in 1907 while conducting missionary work in Tunisia further complicated matters and his report on the Hypogeum was lost.

Excavation continued under Sir Themistocles Zammit, who attempted to salvage what he could.

Description

Later archeological excavations indicate there was once a surface shrine that marked the entrance to the Hypogeum, with its subsequent destruction likely shielding the lower structure from discovery for thousands of years. Nothing remains of any potential enclosure that would have marked the entry to the Hypogeum. The underground structure may have originated from a natural cave, expanded over time by cutting directly into the rock with crude tools including antlers, flint, chert and obsidian. Burial chambers in the upper level of the Hypogeum date from the early phases of the Maltese Temple Period, with lower chambers dating from later.

Key Facts

Facts from Wikidata Q755514 (CC0).

UNESCO's Description

Seven megalithic temples are found on the islands of Malta and Gozo, each the result of an individual development. The two temples of Ggantija on the island of Gozo are notable for their gigantic Bronze Age structures. On the island of Malta, the temples of Hagar Qim, Mnajdra and Tarxien are unique architectural masterpieces, given the limited resources available to their builders. The Ta'Hagrat and Skorba complexes show how the tradition of temple-building was handed down in Malta.

From the UNESCO World Heritage Centre (CC BY-SA IGO 3.0).

History

The temples were the result of several phases of construction from 5200 to 2500 BC. There is evidence of human activity in the islands since the Early Neolithic Period (c. 6500 BC), attested by stone tools, evidence of fires, and bones. The dating and understanding of the various phases of activity in the temples is not easy. The main problem found is that the sites themselves are evolutionary in nature, in that each successive temple brought with it further refinement to architectural development.

Furthermore, in some cases, later Bronze Age peoples built their own sites over the Neolithic temples, thus adding an element of confusion to early researchers who did not have modern dating technology.

Key Facts

Facts from Wikidata Q753383 (CC0).

Visiting Megalithic Temples of Malta

Malta is an island country in Europe, forming an archipelago in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, between Sicily and North Africa.

Thanks to its strategic position, Malta has been continuously inhabited since prehistoric times, and conquered by the Phoenicians, Carthaginians, Romans, Byzantines, Arabs, the Sicilians, and the French, and lastly by the British in 1814. The invaders and intensive trading across the region left material and cultural heritage on the islands, but the Maltese and their language remain unique in many ways. With universal knowledge and use of English among the population and a wealth of both man-made structures from all eras of human existence and sites of exceptional natural beauty — Malta has been a very popular holiday destination for decades.

There are also aquatic activities to enjoy. Northern Malta is home to the country's beach resorts and holiday areas. Gozo and Comino, the country's two smaller islands, are also popular beach spots, although these tend to be quieter, rockier and better for snorkelling.

Travel notes adapted from Wikivoyage: Malta (CC BY-SA 4.0).

UNESCO's Description

The capital of Malta is inextricably linked to the history of the military and charitable Order of St John of Jerusalem. It was ruled successively by the Phoenicians, Greeks, Carthaginians, Romans, Byzantines, Arabs and the Order of the Knights of St John. Valletta’s 320 monuments, all within an area of 55 ha, make it one of the most concentrated historic areas in the world.

From the UNESCO World Heritage Centre (CC BY-SA IGO 3.0).

Geography

The Valletta peninsula has two natural harbours, Marsamxett and the Grand Harbour. The Grand Harbour is Malta's major port, with unloading quays at nearby Marsa. A cruise-liner terminal is located along the old seawall of the Valletta Waterfront that Portuguese Grandmaster Manuel Pinto da Fonseca built.

Valletta features a hot-summer variant Mediterranean climate (Köppen Csa) with very mild, wet winters and long, hot, dry summers, with an average annual temperature above 23 °C (73 °F) during the day and 16 °C (61 °F) at night.

Valletta experiences a lack of precipitation during the summer months with most of the annual precipitation occurring during the winter months. Despite the summer dryness, humidity and dew points remain high because of the city's coastal location.

History

The peninsula was previously called Xagħret Mewwija (Mu' awiya – Meuia; named during the Arab period) or Ħal Newwija. Mewwija refers to a sheltered place. Some authors state that the extreme end of the peninsula was known as Xebb ir-Ras (Sheb point), of which name origins from the lighthouse on site. A family which surely owned land became known as Sceberras, now a Maltese surname as Sciberras. At one point the entire peninsula became known as Sceberras.

Recent scholarly studies have however shown that the Xeberras phrase is of Punic origin and means 'the headland' and 'the middle peninsula' as it actually is.

The building of a city on the Sciberras Peninsula had been proposed by the Order of Saint John as early as 1524.

Economy

Eurostat estimates the labour force in 2015 for the greater Valletta area at around 91,000 people. This corresponds to a share of just under 50 percent of Malta. As in Malta as a whole, tourism is an important economic sector. The most important tourist zone is the area surrounding the Grand Harbour. For the cruise industry, after several years of planning, work began in 2002 to build the Valletta Waterfront Project, a cruise terminal, in the Grand Harbour. There is also a publishing house in Valletta, Allied Newspapers Ltd., a media company. This company publishes the two market-leading newspapers, Times of Malta and The Sunday Times of Malta.

Key Facts

Facts from Wikidata Q23800 (CC0).

Visiting Valletta

Valletta or Il-Belt is the capital of Malta. Historically built as harbour city to first capital, Valletta preserves much of its 16th-century architectural heritage built under the Hospitallers. Valletta was one of the earliest sites inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List.

Travel notes adapted from Wikivoyage: Valletta (CC BY-SA 4.0).