UNESCO World Heritage Sites

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 Ġgantija on the island of Gozo are notable for their gigantic Bronze Age structures. On the island of Malta, the temples of Ħaġar Qim, Mnajdra and Tarxien are unique architectural masterpieces, given the limited resources available to their builders. The Ta’Ħaġrat and Skorba complexes show how the tradition of temple-building was handed down in Malta.

An Official Committee has decided to extend the existing cultural property, the “Temple of Ġgantija”, to include the five prehistoric temples situated on the islands of Malta and Gozo and to rename the property as “The Megalithic Temples of Malta”.

Ħal Saflieni Hypogeum

This truly unique site enjoys an individual listing on the UNESCO World Heritage Sites. The Hypogeum consists of halls, chambers and passages hewn out of the living rock and covering some 500m². The rock-cut chambers are of a diverse shapes and sizes and finished to different standards of workmanship. The complex is grouped in three levels – the upper level (3600-3300 BC), the middle level (3300-3000 BC), and the lower level (3150 -2500 BC). The deepest room in the lower level is 10.6 metres under road surface. The site was accidentally discovered by a stone mason in 1902.

The City of Valletta

Valletta is the capital city of Malta, colloquially known as Il-Belt (English: The City) in Maltese. It is located in the central-eastern portion of the island of Malta and the city proper has a population of 6,315. Valletta contains buildings from the 16th century onwards, built during the rule of the Knights of St. John of Jerusalem (the Knights Hospitaller). The city is essentially Baroque in character, with elements of Mannerist, Neo-Classical and Modern architecture in selected areas, though World War II left major scars on the city.

The City of Valletta was officially recognised as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1980. The city is named for Jean Parisot de la Valette, who succeeded in defending the island from an Ottoman invasion in 1565. The official name given by the Order of Saint John was Humilissima Civitas Valletta — The Most Humble City of Valletta, or Città Umilissima in Italian. The bastions, curtains and ravelins along with the beauty of its Baroque palaces, gardens and churches, led the ruling houses of Europe to give the city its nickname Superbissima — ‘Most Proud’.