UNESCO World Heritage Sites in Malta

City of Valletta
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.

Hal Saflieni Hypogeum
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.

Megalithic Temples of Malta
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 Qin, 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.

Sites on the Tentative List

Coastal Cliffs
Huge limestone cliffs rise vertically from the Mediterranean Sea along the entire western side of Malta Island and to a lessor extent on the northeast coast as well. See also the MEPA Coastal Cliffs of Mainland Malta article.

Qawra / Dwejra
The Qawra/Dwejra site combines interesting geology, both on land and under the sea, rich diverse wildlife and habitats, dramatic seascapes dominated by a rocky shoreline, cultural elements spanning from the 3rd century BC to the 19th century AD and a general wilderness feel. Both the inland sea (Qawra) and Dwejra Bay are excellent examples of large-scale circular subsidence structures and associated infill sediments with clear fossil beds. In fact, on western Gozo one finds an impressive number of solution subsidence structures in a relatively small area. These geological formations were formed as underground caverns through a dissolution process which could only have taken place on land. During the Miocene, seafloor collapse created 12 initial structures whereas many others originated from Quaternary subaerial collapse during the Pleistocene, when the emergence of the Maltese Islands reactivated the process. These various structures, some of which are completely submerged, clearly explain the geological history of the Pelagian Block (Central Mediterranean).

Cittadella / Victoria - Gozo
The Cittadella is in the centre of Gozo, Malta's sister island. The small fortified town is situated on a promontory sited over the town of Victoria (also known as Rabat). This vantage point was obviously chosen because it was a naturally fortified hill which dominated the surrounding countryside and provided visual control of the coastal areas. The geological and geomorphological characteristics were ideal to support ancient settlements and provide a foundation for town development. The Cittadella was referred to as Gaulcouis Civitas (possible after the Roman settlement) before the arrival of the Knights of the Order of St. John.

Knights' Fortifications around the Harbours of Malta
Grand Harbour: Geographic location has an emphatic habit of influencing the course of history. The story of Malta is an important case in point. Sited practically in the centre of the Mediterranean, its important strategic position was such that none of the maritime powers then vying for the control of this sea could have afforded to ignore it. The island's position was ideal, for apart from commanding the narrow waters between the two great basins of the Mediterranean, it also possessed excellent natural harbours, secure havens for battle fleets. It was, above all, the presence of the Grand Harbour that was to prove so instrumental in attracting foreign occupation. And once occupied, the need to secure this anchorage from attack was to dictate the scope and form of the island's defenses. Thus, over the centuries, the harbour area has witnessed the building of great works of fortification designed by engineers from most of the major military power: Spanish, Italian, French and British, the result of which is one of the finest collections of military architecture in the world. In the words of Prof. Quentin Hughes, "a monumental heritage... for sheer concentration and majesty quite unmatched".

Mdina / Citta Vecchia
Mdina is situated high above terraced fields thus dominating the rural skyline. It attracts large amounts of visitors mostly foreigners (about 80,000 each year). Mdina contributes greatly to the glorious heritage of the Maltese Islands with its original setting of Baroque palaces and churches and so it deserves every degree of protection possible to ensure its survival for the benefit of both future generations and national pride. Mdina is only one of the surviving place names. The city has been renamed according to the various periods in local history. Other names were Melita (Roman occupation), Medina (Arabic occupation), Citta Notabile (Knights of St. John) and Citta Vecchia (after Valletta was built). This city was the home town of the Maltese nobility before the 1565 Siege as well as the capital city of the Islands. Considerable building took place during the reign of Grand Master Vilhena. The urban form it was built upon is the one still standing to the present day. Today it is also referred as the Silent City since it inspires tranquillity at any time of the day or night.

Maltese Catacomb Complexes
The Paleochristian heritage of the Maltese Islands rates as the fourth most important cluster of such monuments in the Mediterranean Region following those of the Italy, Israel and of the Maghreb. The most prominent feature of Malta's Paleochristian archaeology consists of an extensive concentration of subterranean burial grounds (OI catacombs) located under the modern town of Rabat and the surrounding rural districts.

Victoria Lines Fortifications
Victoria Lines and the Great Fault: The Great Fault is a natural geographical barrier which spans across the whole width of Malta north of Mdina, and practically divides the island in two parts. Its use for defensive purposes can be traced way back to prehistoric times but it was the Knights, in 1722, who were the first to systematically utilize the natural defensive qualities of this geographical feature for military purposes with the building of a number of permanent masonry infantry entrenchments erected along various sections of the position in order to enable the islanders to resist an enemy invasion in the northern part of the island. The militarization of the whole span of the great Fault was a process which was undertaken during the second half of the l9th century by the British military in an attempt to seal off the northern approaches to the fortified Grand Harbour area with its important naval facilities. The North West Front known as the defensive front was initiated in 1875 with the construction of a number of strategically sited forts and batteries designed to stiffen the length of the natural escarpment In 1897, the whole fortified trace, by then nearing completion, was named the Victoria Lines in order to commemorate the Diamond Jubilee of Queen Victoria.