Magnificent Mediterranean Malta Rugged Terrain And Layers Of History Make Up These Small Islands Centered In An Azure Sea
That bewitching nymph, Calypso, was able to ensnare Odysseus here for seven years. The oldest temple ruins in the world squat brooding on its bluffy headlands. And the legendary Knights of St. John ruled the islands for centuries, building creamy-yellow limestone fortresses and baroque palaces that loom out of the sea like stone leviathans rising for a breath of air.
Oh yes, and there were once falcons - Maltese falcons.
That’s the one thing the tiny Republic of Malta has no more of, even if a lone falcon still reigns supreme in Dashiell Hammett’s classic mystery.
Malta’s six islands, dead center in that azure-blue cradle of civilization called the Mediterranean, are little known to Americans. But great things often come in small packages, and so it is with Malta, whose total acreage could fit comfortably inside the city of Philadelphia.
On these isles, about 60 miles south of Sicily and 160 miles north of North Africa, the courteous, English-speaking Maltese have welcomed European sun-and-fun summer vacationers for years.
Recently, they have opened a tourist information office in New York hoping to acquaint Americans with their temperate climate, their hugely interesting and historically significant sites, and their stark, arresting scenery.
Though the uninformed often think of Malta as an Arab country, it decidedly is not. The dark-haired, olive-skinned Maltese look more Italian than anything.
Because of their situation at the crossroads of the Mediterranean, the inhabitants of Malta have been ruled, successively, by the Phoenicians, Carthaginians, Romans, Byzantines, Arabs, Normans, Castillians, Knights of St. John (also known as the Knights of Malta), French, British and - finally - by themselves. They became a republic in 1964.
Understandably, the ceaseless wave of conquerors left its mark on Malta, fashioning a rich and varied culture.
Above all, two totally singular experiences have stamped an indelible imprint on Malta: neolithic men who left behind free-standing monuments older than Egypt’s pyramids, and those wealthy, powerful and educated Knights of St. John who came here seeking sanctuary and stayed to prosper and shape a national psyche.
Everywhere on Malta are fortifications - conceived and built by those ambitious Knights of the Order of St. John of Jerusalem. A gang of aristocratic do-gooders originally created before the Crusades to succor wounded pilgrims in the Holy Land, they filtered eventually into Malta after the Turks ran them out of Rhodes.
On these low-hilled isles, fortunately sited atop tons of easilyquarried limestone, the knights fashioned massive forts, government buildings, churches and palaces: in homage to God, as a protection against fresh invaders, and - most especially - to their own greater glory.
Valletta, Malta’s capital, is a monument to their diligence in this regard. An intriguing city to walk, Valletta - with its narrow streets that all run towards the sea - is lined with apricot-complected buildings punctuated by ornate conceits and traditional enclosed wooden balconies.
Along the main artery, Republic Street, are numerous worthwhile stops, including the National Museum of Archaeology, housed in one of the knights’ old palaces and containing 5,500-year-old artifacts taken from Malta’s Neolithic ruins; St. John’s Co-Cathedral, the knights’ major place of worship and wonderfully gaudy in the best baroque style; and the Palace of the Grand Masters, another elaborate edifice of the knights and now the office of the President of Malta and home to the House of Representatives.
At the foot of the street and overlooking the harbor is the massive Fort St. Elmo. The fort is worth a tour and also houses the small War Museum, which shows the unremitting courage of the Maltese during World War II when over 3,300 bombing raids by the Axis powers tried to level the crucially located islands. During the siege, which was finally broken by a convoy of supply ships, there was fear the entire population would starve to death.
Less serious aspects of Valletta, and surrounding towns are numerous and delightful. There’s a big Italian influence here, especially in the cuisine and sweet little stone courtyards, worn-smooth flagstones and pots of geraniums decorate eateries serving all manner of delectable pasta dishes.
With its biblical battlements, singular green and rocky island vistas, and an on-site film studio, Malta has become a movie-making mecca. It has provided backdrops for such productions as “Midnight Express,” two Christopher Columbus movies, many sequences from “The Saint” television series featuring Roger Moore, “Popeye,” “Cutthroat Island” and dozens of others.
Indeed, the countryside of Malta and another island, Gozo, with aquamarine seas, almost constant sunshine, charming inlets and bays, and dramatic, high pinky-hued bluffs that plunge vertically down to the ocean, attract not only the moviemakers’ eye, but those of knowledgeable tourists who come to Malta to experience all this for themselves.
Another prominent inland city not to be missed is hoary old Mdina - the so-called “Silent City” fortified by the Arabs in A.D. 870 and once the seat of Roman power here.
Only 420 souls live inside its walls today, and to enter Mdina’s Main Gate and walk its stone-shrouded byways offers an exciting and broody adventure.
Elaborate brass door knockers grace massive wooden townhouse entrances; winding gray passages are softened by weeping bougainvillea and street signs scripted on china plaques; and the echoing heel clicks of unseen pedestrians on the worn pavement give the place a wholly eerie air. You should poke into elaborate St. Paul’s Cathedral, and into little shops selling locally made lace, filigree gold jewelry, terra cotta figurines of those long-gone Maltese falcons (blasted into oblivion by overzealous Maltese hunters), and miniature replicas of the islands’ unusual buildings - from chummy farmhouses and domed churches to windmills and archaic townhouses sporting those ubiquitous wooden balconies.
Back along the shore, Malta’s foremost fishing village, Marsaxlokk, is a photographer’s dream. Here you encounter masses of those Phoenician-style (seventh century B.C.) fishing boats still popular with the Maltese who, even today, count fishing as a major occupation. You’ll see luzzus lined up quayside in rainbow procession - painted bright blue and yellow, often with green and red mixed in. Most sport the age-old eye of Osiris on their bows, a talisman and classical good-luck charm of sailors.
But it is the time-out-of-mind Neolithic ruins that draw many to both Malta and Gozo. Twenty-three have been discovered so far, one - Ggantija - considered the oldest free-standing stone monument in the world.
On the island of Malta, Hagar Qim, Mnajdra and the Tarxien Temples are all easily accessible, uncommercial (no fast-food joints or gift shops extant) and must be seen to be believed.
The Flintstones’ town of Bedrock might come to mind as you poke around Hagar Qim, positioned dramatically atop a wind-swept rocky plateau. It dates back to 3200 B.C.
Below, and sited on a sheer cliff above the sea, Manajdra (3000-2500 B.C.) hunkers around a forecourt. Both temple sites are built of huge limestone boulders and it is still unknown how prehistoric man carved them, let alone got them to, and assembled in, their present situations.
But it’s the little island of Gozo, nine miles long and 4 1/2 miles wide, reached by a 30-minute ferry ride, that holds the greatest archaeological treasure.
Don’t, however, rush straight from the harbor to the site of Ggantija, but let this pastoral isle - the “garden belt” of Malta - seep into your soul. Life is slower-paced here, the locals a little more wary than those on Malta but equally kind, and the shoreline vistas bleakly beautiful.
Gozo’s capital city, Victoria, is especially interesting because of its old quarter, The Citadel. Tiny and easily explored, its cathedral, four museums (the Museum of Archaeology just below the cathedral is fascinating), and panoramic views from its battlements expose you to the venerable and scenic lifeways of the Gozitan - both ancient and modern.
Though not as picturesque as one might expect, Calypso’s Cave, overlooking the red-sand beach of Ramla Bay, gets a grip on your imagination as you climb gingerly down its widely spaced stone steps leading into its gloomy maw.
Here, it is believed, brave Odysseus (Homer’s mythic hero) was entrapped by the wiles of goldenhaired Calypso and held in lustful thrall for seven years before escaping to continue his journey home to Ithaca.
Almost in the center of the island, at last, stands Ggantija; it dates back to 3600 B.C., is amazingly wellpreserved and predates any other structure of its kind, anywhere. At certain times of the day, Ggantija glows a deep honey color and looks more charming than pagan as wild bougainvillea flutters in the wind at one of the two temple entrances.
Little Malta, big in myth and legend, a living museum piece made lively by its inhabitants, can be compared to none. It’s in a class by itself, and after centuries of foreign invasion and rule, happy to be so. That the Maltese gladly share their scenic treasures with others is an amazing and happy circumstance for all would-be visitors.
xxxx If you go Accommodations: Runs the gamut from self-catering units to five-star hotel suites. There are 127 registered hotels on Malta; 10 on Gozo. Beaches: There are some - both sandy and rocky. European vacationers flock to them in July and August. To an American, however, they may seem small, uninspired and lacking in charm. Best times to visit: Malta is blessed with a temperate clime; it seldom drops below 55 degrees, and rain falls only between November and February. The best months: April and May; September; October to May, especially November and December. Unless you love to fry, avoid July and August which are sizzling hot (over 100 degrees at times) and attract hordes of European sun-worshipping vacationers. Cuisine: More traditional Maltese food is harder to find as it requires time and elaborate preparation. But many restaurants serve some Maltese dishes such as rabbit in wine sauce, spaghetti with octopus, bragjoli (parcels of mince, chopped eggs, breadcrumbs and parsley wrapped in thin sheets of beef, simmered gently in a gravy and known also as “beef olives”), lampuki (dorado served fresh-caught in many restaurants - try lampuki pie as well) and a lovely little confection called pastizzi - a ricotta cheese-and-egg mixture wrapped in a pastry shell and baked. Driving: It’s on the left and the Maltese drive with a lawless, joyous abandon that may strike fear. However, there are a number of car-hire places if you’re so inclined. A day-trip with a chauffeur-driven car is a good possibility; these vehicles are almost always roomy and luxurious. (often black Mercedes and Volvos). If you don’t want to go it alone, inquire about various sightseeing tours at your hotel’s front desk. Getting there: The national airline is Air Malta. There are no direct flights from the United States to Malta although Air Malta anticipates opening a New York route - possibly in 1996. Malta runs direct flights to the islands from many European capital cities. Language: Maltese, though English and Italian are almost universally spoken. A special note: Malta is a revelation in this day and age: The islands are practically crime-free; things are reasonably priced or inexpensive by our standards; there is no poverty; the locals speak English and are polite and glad to have you there. For more information: Contact the Malta National Tourist Office, Empire State Building, 350 Fifth Ave., Suite 4412, New York, NY 10118; (212) 695-9520.