Introduction

Despite its miniscule size, Malta has played a significant part in European history. Its unique history and culture traced all the way back to Neolithic times, makes it a virtual tapestry of European history. Malta's history is one marked by conquest and colonizers. It's strategic position in the Mediterranean, in between Europe and Africa, half way Gibraltar and the Middle East have until only recently, made it a perfect stronghold for any power that wished to control the Mediterranean. The various conquerors and colonizers of Malta reflect the changing power structures in the Mediterranean over time. The Phoenicians, the Romans, the Arabs, the Angevins, the Aragonese, the Knights of St. John and the British, all used Malta as a central platform in their efforts to control the maritime routes of the Mediterranean. All have come and gone, each leaving a different imprint on the local culture and heritage, such that today's Maltese culture is a rich and colourful tapestry of Mediterranean culture. Each of these have left traces of their cultures, many of which can still be found in Malta.

The earliest settlers

Malta has been inhabited for millennia, with the earliest traces of habitation dating back to earlier than 5200 BC. The stone structures of Malta's earliest prehistoric temples are considered to be the oldest free standing buildings in the world and pay tribute to the toil and sacrifice that must accompanied their development. Archaeologists have been able to determine the origin of the first inhabitants of the island with the help of pot sherds, found in a unique cave in Birzebbuga known as Ghar Dalam. This cave is particularly interesting because of the fossil remains from the Ice Age, that were found here. In the museum near the cave are bones of pleistocene animals, like (dwarf) elephants, hippopotamuses and deer. The ancient pottery remains found at Ghar Dalam show a close resemblance to that of the Stentinello culture of Sicily from about the same time. It would therefore seem reasonable to assume that the first inhabitants of Malta originated from Sicily which is only about 60 miles north of Malta. After some new immigrants arrived in Malta, the so called Temple Culture developed around 4000 BC. The first temples, such as those known as Ggantija in the sister island of Gozo, were constructed about 3600 BC. The temples were built with huge stone blocks and almost always consist of a number of trefoil shaped rooms, interconnected by a corridor. The temples were used for the veneration of the Maltese 'fat lady', the goddess of fertility, of which several statuettes were found. Many discoveries were made in the temple complex of Tarxien, belonging to the last phase of the Temple Period characterized by numerous decorations, amongst others with spiral motives and animal reliefs. Apart from temples, several burial complexes were discovered dating back to the Temple Period, like the hypogeum in Paola, not far from Tarxien. The Temple Period lasted until about 2500 BC, when the race of the temple builders became extinct. This period was followed by the Bronze Age in Malta with many discoveries of this period such as the cart ruts, used by slide carts to carry heavy loads of stone. The dolmens, found in many places in Malta, date back to these times as well.

The Phoenician Influence

As the peoples of the Mediterranean developed by 1000 BC the power of the Phoenicians, a nation of traders from the present Lebanon, extended all over the Mediterranean. They dominated the most important trade routes and had strongholds at several points. Malta came under Phoenician influence as well, probably as early as the 8th century BC. They called the island Malat , which meant something like 'safe harbour' in the Phoenician language. The prehistoric temple of Tas-Silg was reconstructed and dedicated to the goddess Astarte. In 1697 two candelabra were found with inscriptions in both the Phoenician language and in Greek. These candelabra have been of great importance for the deciphering of the Phoenician language. One of them is at present in the Louvre in Paris, the other one is in the National Archaeological Museum in Valletta.

The Roman Dominion

The centre of power in the Phoenician empire shifted from the main land in present Lebanon to the colony of Carthage in what is nowadays known as Tunisia. Against the Carthaginians, the Romans fought several battles, the so called Punic Wars. During the second Punic war, in 218 BC, Malta fell into the hands of the Romans. The Romans called the island Melita, the origins of the present name Malta. The capital was also called Melita and was situated at the hilltop of the present city of Mdina. But Melita was larger than Mdina and included parts of Rabat. In Rabat there are still some traces of the Roman presence in Malta. The Roman Villa and several Roman and early Christian catacombs in Rabat present a fascinating picture of affluence in the time of the Roman Empire. In the year 60 AD an event took place that is comprehensively described in the Bible: the shipwreck of the apostle Paul (Acts of the Apostles 27 and 28). According to the legend this shipwreck took place at St. Paul's Bay. Tradition has it, that St. Paul converted the Maltese to Christianity, he is the patron saint of Malta and the cathedral of Mdina is dedicated to him.

The Arabs in Malta

With the collapse of the Roman Empire, Malta came under Byzantine influence, until it was occupied in 870 from Sicily by the Arabs. The Arab domination was of great importance to Malta as it brought the best of the most sophisticated culture of the times. New irrigation techniques and new crops were introduced, like citrus fruits and cotton. The practice of building rubble walls to protect the fields against erosion dates back to these times. Ever since the rubble walls dominate the Maltese countryside. The old Roman city of Melita was reduced in size for more effective defence in case of attack. The city inside the new walls was called the medina , which means 'fortified city', whilst the rest of the city outside the walls was called rabat or 'suburb'. The place names Mdina and Rabat survive to this day and are only two of many other names of Arabic origin. The old city of Mdina still bears a touch of its Arab past: walking through the narrow streets it almost feels like being in a serene version of a North-African town. The Arab influence is still very evident in the ancient city of Mdina that still bears witness of its Arab past not only in the very name of the city, but in the meandering streets and dwellings so typical of the Arab culture. Yet Mdina has much more remains from more recent times: the late Middle Ages and the 18th century. The Maltese language is a descendent of the Arab dialect that was spoken here during the early Middle Ages. Maltese is quite a unique language: it is the only Semitic language written with the Latin alphabeth.

The Turbulent Middle Ages

In 1090 Malta was occupied by Count Roger the Norman from his stronghold in Sicily. He did not succeed in establishing a permanent rule during his reign, but his son Roger II did manage to do so in 1127. From then onwards gradually Malta came more and more under European influence, but until at least in the 13th century, part of the population remained Muslim. These were troubled and difficult times for Malta as it regularly changed owners: the German Hohenstaufen, the Angevins, Barcelona and Aragon - they were all ruling the islands. When Aragon united with Castile in 1479, Malta became part of the Spanish Empire. Malta was a feudal state: the administration of the country was in the hands of the local nobility, that was mainly from Sicilian and Spanish origin. They had their own governing council both on Malta as well as on Gozo: the Universitŕ . Mdina remained the most important city on the island, the place where most of the noble families used to live - and still live nowadays. At the beginning of the 16th century, the power of the Turkish Empire under Süleyman I expanded over South East Europe. The Turks were in fact at the city walls of Vienna and Charles V, the Spanish king, feared that they would reach Rome from Southern-Italy. If Rome would fall into the hands of the Turks it could mean the end of catholic Europe. In 1530 Charles V, took a strategic decision to prevent this: he handed Malta over to the Knights of St. John, who had been expelled from Rhodes in 1522 by the Turks. The Order of the Knight Hospitallers of St. John The rich European heritage of the sixteenth to the eighteenth centuries are reflected in the legacies of the Knights of St. John still clearly visible in the capital city of Valletta. This unique fortified city, with imposing bastions rising from the sea, is testimony to the rich splendour and grandeur of the European cultures right up to the nineteenth century. The origin of the Order of the Knights of St. John dates back to about 900 years ago in Jerusalem when the pioneering tradesmen of the Italian town of Amalfi obtained permission to erect a chapel and a hospital in Jerusalem, dedicated to St. John the Baptist. When the Crusades started, the crusaders as well could rely on the Hospitallers of St. John. In exchange the Hospitallers received newly conquered territories, which had to be defended. Thus the military task of the Order of St. John developed. In 1113 the Order was recognized by the Pope and it became an official military monastic order. The Order of St. John was driven away by the Arabs, and later on by the Turks, and had to retreat in the direction of Europe. In 1187 they settled in Acre, in 1291 they were driven to Cyprus and from there to Rhodes in 1306. Also Rhodes fell into the hands of the Turks in 1522. Eight years later Charles V offered them Malta, Gozo and Tripoli, for the symbolic price of one falcon a year.

When the Knights came to Malta they found that the inland capital of Mdina and was not a suitable capital for the Knights, since they possessed a fleet. For that reason they settled in the small town of Birgu, at one of the natural harbours of Malta, the Grand Harbour. Already after several years it became too small and in 1554 the Knights built the city of Senglea, opposite Birgu at the same bay. Confrontations with the Turks were inevitable. In 1551 Tripoli fell into Turkish hands and Gozo was heavily ransacked. This was followed by a severe siege of Birgu and Senglea in 1565, recorded in history as the Great Siege. Malta was very nearly occupied by the Turks, but on the 8th of September they withdrew. The fact that the Knights withstood the Great Siege gave them new courage. Already the year after they started building a new fortified city, the city of Valletta, named after the Grandmaster of those days, Jean Parisot de la Valette, the leader of the Order. Many buildings of the Knights still exist in Valletta, amongst others the magnificent Palace of the Grandmaster, from where the Order was administered and where the foreign delegations were received. The splendour of these buildings is remarkable and is almost irreconcilable with the fact that the Knights - being monks - had made the vow of poverty. That might have been the main reason why the Knights lost their popularity amongst the Maltese population in the course of the 18th century.

The French in Malta

Following the Knights were the French led by Napoleon Bonaparte and then British. When in 1798 Napoleon's fleet appeared off the harbour of Valletta, initially the Maltese regarded the French as their liberators. Also because a large contingent of the Knights was of French origin and did not intend to fight against their compatriots, Napoleon's troops could capture Malta without a single blow. The French were here only for a few years, yet in this short time they made major changes in the legal systems that are still evident to this day. All possessions of the Knight's Order were confiscated by the French. Notwithstanding the French promises not to interfere with the church, convents were closed and church treasures were seized. The opposition against the French grew and already on the 2nd of September the first uprising took place. The immediate cause was an auction of possessions of the Carmelite Convent in Mdina. The French withdrew in Valletta and lost their control over the Maltese countryside. The Maltese rebels could not oust the French on their own and asked the British for support.

The British Reign

The British were initially invited by the Maltese to help combat the French, however, once the French were defeated, they stayed as rulers and colonizers. The first British squadron reached Malta in October 1798. Lord Nelson, the British admiral, decided to force the French to surrender by means of a total blockade. The blockade lasted till the 5th of September 1800, when the weakened French garrison surrendered. At the Treaty of Amiens (1802) it was decided that Malta was to be restored to the Knights, but the Maltese were not very keen on that. They requested the British to stay in Malta, and so it happened, but the much desired home rule did not come into effect. Malta was to be ruled as a British crown colony. In the course of the 19th century Malta became more and more important to the British. Especially after the opening of the Suez Canal, Malta appeared to be a perfect stronghold, both for the British fleet, and the British trade. The Maltese economy depended heavily on the British navy, but most Maltese didn't take much benefit from it. There was much poverty, especially amongst the rural population. The influence of the Maltese on politics was minimal until the establishment of the Maltese parliament in 1921. The thirties were characterized by a very instable political situation, in which the constitution was suspended several times. During the Second World War Malta, being a British base, was heavily targeted by both the Italians and the Germans. The war brought the British and the Maltese closer to each other as demonstrated by the award to the Maltese population of the George Cross in April 1942 by King George VI 'for gallantry'.

After World War II in 1947, self government was introduced, but in the beginning of the sixties it became clear that the two largest political parties opted for independence. That was achieved in 1964. Malta remained in the Commonwealth and recognized the British Queen as head of state. That changed in 1974, when Malta became a republic with its own president. In 1979 the last British troops left the island. The British influence is still very obvious: the widely spoken English language, a civil service modelled on the British, left hand driving, British phone booths and letter boxes, and so on.