Malta Southeast

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Malta Southeast

October 2013

96

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The Southeast of Malta island is dominated by the Valletta area, an urban sprawl around an impressive natural harbour, with several fortified Renaissance cities, modern suburbs and anything from times in between. The harbour consists of two parts separated by a long peninsula, with Valletta covering the tip of the peninsula, and a harbour bay on each side – Grand Harbour to the South and Marsamxett Harbour to the North. Entrance to the harbours is protected by three fortresses, one on the peninsula and two on the outer sides.

Fort St. Elmo on the tip of the peninsula played a key role in the defense agains the Ottomans, and so grand Master Vallette recognized its strategic importance and had a new capital erected on the peninsula beneath the fort – Valletta. Initially, the knights Hospitallers set up camp on the southern side of Grand Harbour in Birgu, situated itself on a small peninsula in Grand Harbour.

Along Marsamxett Harbour, there are more modern suburbs like Sliema (where our hotel was located) or St. Julian.

South of the Valletta area, Malta is densely populated with port towns, fishing villages and the local airport. In the Southeastern part there are also at least four key sites with megalithic remains, Ħaġar Qim, Mnajdra, Tarxien and the hypogeum of Ħal-Saflieni

Malta Southeast

Valletta [ 28 images ]

Ħaġar Qim and Mnajdra [ 16 images ]

Tarxien temples [ 20 images ]

Birgu [ 28 images ]

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