TRAVEL
Small wonders
From Stone Age temples to The Queen’s old villa, the little islands of Malta and Gozo have a huge amount of history, stretching back 7,000 years
by SARA MACEFIELD
Historic beauty Malta’s capital Valletta is a World Heritage Site and it’s easy to see why,
with pretty street scenes,
The old capital Mdinagoes back 4,000 years
the harbour view,
stunning architecture and statues.
GETTY, 4 CORNERS, AWL IMAGES
Tiny they may be, but Malta and Gozo have punched well above their weight for centuries. With temples older than the Pyramids, a trio of UNESCO World Heritage Sites and hundreds of churches, cathedrals and chapels, the Mediterranean islands belie their position on the map as just pin-pricks south of Sicily.
The two islands have a rich historical legacy dating back more than 7,000 years. Their strategic importance has made these gems a glittering prize for various factions down the centuries, including the Phoenicians, the Romans, the Knights of St John, Napoleon’s French Revolutionaries, and the British, before independence was gained in 1964.