Malta - Return Home

Malta
Another day over - back home with the fruits of a hard day's work.

Sent by Silvan, a Facebook friend from Malta.

Malta - Ramla Bay

MALTESE ARCHIPELAGO
Ramla Bay in Gozo from Nadur Heights.
One of the most spectacular bay in the Maltese islands, Ramla Bay is remarkable for its largely unspoilt surroundings which are traditionally the Aplace where the nymph Calypso entertained Ulysse. The Roman villa lies hidden under the sands on the far side of the bay.

Sent by Silvan, a Facebook friend from Malta.

This is from Wikipedia : Ramla Bay is located at the bottom of a rich and fertile valley on the northern side of the island of Gozo. Gozo is one of the Maltese islands. The village of Xagħra, located on one of the hills of Gozo, overlooks this valley. It is about a forty minute walk from Xagħra to the bay. The bay can also be reached from the village of Nadur. Bus service to the beach is extremely intermittent. The terraced walls built by the farmers give the valley an appearance of a quilt when viewed from the high ridges surrounding it.

The beach is quite wide and sandy. It is a particularly golden-reddish sand which makes this beach different from all others in Gozo and Malta. Its real Maltese name is Ir-Ramla il-Ħamra — the Red Sandy Beach. The area around the beach is quite interesting and provides some very rich historical treasures. Roman remains lie beneath the sand and the famous Calypso Cave overlooks the western side of the beach.

The beach is popular with both Maltese residents and tourists, and part of it is a Natura 2000 site. There are two cantinas on the beach and several ice cream kiosks. The beach is surrounded by hillsides on both the west and east where many local farmers have gardens and orchards. A sandy path on the eastern hillside leads up to the Calypso Cave.

According to tradition, this is the cave referred to by Homer in The Odyssey. The nymph Calypso lived in this cave and it is where she entertained Ulysses for seven years before he resumed his journey. Calypso Cave is in fact a series of caves and, according to some, these extend right down to the sea. In recent years, these caves have been tarnished by improper care as they are strewn with litter, in particular, empty beer bottles. This is diminishing the attraction of this cave for the Maltese locals and tourists.

Malta - Maltesse Folklore

MALTA
Maltesse Folklore

Sent by Brian, a postcrosser from Bournemouth, England.

This is from Wikipedia : Maltese folklore is the folk tradition which has developed in Malta over the centuries, and expresses the cultural identity of the Maltese people.

Local festivals celebrating the patron saint of the local parish, similar to those in southern Italy, are commonplace in Malta. Several festi take place in different towns and villages across Malta every weekend in the summer. A festa reaches its apex with a High Mass featuring a sermon on the life and achievements of the patron saint, after which a statue of the religious patron is taken around the local streets in solemn procession, with the faithful following in respectful prayer. The religious atmosphere quickly gives way to several days of revelry, band processions, fireworks, and late night parties.

In the weeks leading up to a local festa, the main streets around the parish are richly decorated, with brocade banners, ornate religious sculptures mounted on pedestals and, all around the zuntier (parvis) of the parish church, hawkers set up stalls stocked with food and the local variety of nougat. The parish church itself is typically illuminated at night, although the fjakkoli (flaming lanterns) of yesteryear have been supplanted by bright-coloured electric bulbs.

Some of the seaside towns feature a unique and popular medieval game known as the ġostra. Although the word itself is derived from the Italian giostra, Maltese ġostra has little in common with medieval jousting, and is in fact derived from the Neapolitan game of the Cockaigne pole. It involves a 10-metre long greased pole, mounted on a barge out in the bay, perched on a precarious angle out over the sea. Competing youths scramble up the pole, in an attempt to snatch a pennant, flag or other trophy from the top of the pole.

Malta - Senglea

Senglea point rises out of the deep harbour waters with its characteristic 'gardjola' (watchpoint) hanging on the edge of the bastion walls. To the left, opposite the marina is the Maritime Museum and the church of St. Lawrence, formerly the conventual church of the Knights of Malta.

Sent by Silvan, a Facebook friend from Malta.

This is from Wikipedia : Senglea (Maltese: L-Isla) is a fortified city in the east of Malta, mainly in the Grand Harbour area. It is one of the Three Cities, with the other two being Cospicua and Vittoriosa. The city of Senglea is also called Civitas Invicta, because it managed to resist the Ottoman invasion at the Great Siege of 1565. The proper name is Senglea since the grandmaster who built it Claude De La Sengle, gave this city a part of his name.

The island was in fact joined by a landbridge to Cospicua during the time of the Knights of St. John and as a result, it became peninsular in shape. During the time of the Knights of St. John, Senglea was also used as a hunting area, and was in fact known as L'Isola di San Giuliano, but later it was developed and made inhabitable by the Grand Master, Claude de la Sengle who built fortifications following a Turkish invasion in 1551. The locality eventually became known as Senglea but retained its old name Isla.

Malta - Maltese Folklore

Maltese Folklore
From left to right;
1. Manner of treading or threshing the corn in Malta.
2. Prices gained by the horse race.
3. Horse race in Malta.
4. Maltese milkman.
5. Maltese country family.
6. Maltese lady.
7. Maltese woman spinning cotton.
8. Manner of ploughing in Malta.
9. Maltese passage boat.
10. Maltese double kaless.

Sent by Silvan, a Facebook friend from Malta.

Malta - Mdina

MALTESE ARCHIPELAGO
Inside Main Gate - Mdina
From left to right : Mdina Police Station, Vilhena Palace, main gate Torre dello Stendardo (Tower). The figures at the rear of the gateway are three Saint protectors of Mdina, namely, St. Publius, Saint Paul and St. Agatha.

Sent by Silvan, a facebook friend from Malta.

This is from Wikipedia : Mdina, Città Vecchia, or Città Notabile, (English: Notabile, or Imdina) is the old capital of Malta. Mdina is a medieval walled town situated on a hill in the centre of the island. Punic remains uncovered beyond the city’s walls suggest the importance of the general region to Malta’s Phoenician settlers. Mdina is commonly called the "Silent City" by natives and visitors. The town is still confined within its walls, and has a population of less than three hundred, but it is contiguous with the village of Rabat, which takes its name from the Arabic word for suburb, and has a population of over 11,000.

Malta - Gozo

Homeward bound. A Gozitan goatherd leads her goats back home. Scenes such as these can still be seen in the unspoilt countryside of the Maltese islands.

Sent by Silvan, a Facebook friend from Ghaxaq in Malta.

This is from Wikipedia : Gozo (Maltese: Għawdex) is a small island of the Maltese archipelago in the Mediterranean Sea. The island is part of the Southern European country of Malta; after the island of Malta itself, it is the second-largest island in the archipelago. Compared to its southeastern neighbour, Gozo is more rural and known for its scenic hills, which are featured on its coat of arms.

A popular nickname of Gozo is the Isle of Calypso, derived from the location of Ogygia in Greek mythological poem Homer's Odyssey. In the myth, the island was controlled by nymph Calypso who detained the hero of the story Odysseus there as prisoner of love for seven years; Gozo is thought to be modern day Ogygia.

The island itself has a population of around 31,000 people (all of Malta combined has 402,000), and its inhabitants are known as Gozitans (Maltese: Għawdxin). It is rich in historical locations such as the Ġgantija temples which, along with the Megalithic Temples of Malta, are the world's oldest free-standing structures and also the world's oldest religious structures.

For such a small island, Gozo has a high concentration of Churches (22 in all). The Xewkija church has a capacity of 3000, enough for the entire population of Xewkija village, its dome is larger than that of St. Paul’s Cathedral in London. The church bells are rung daily for the canonical hours Matins, Lauds, Terce, Sext, None and

Malta - Traditional Ghonnella

MALTA
The traditional GHONNELLA
Sometimes referred to as a Faldetta, it was a form of women's head dress and shawl. Usually made of black or dark coloured cotton or silk, the Ghonnella was ubiquitous throughout the Maltese Islands. Most Maltese women used to wear it up to the 1930's but its use fell rapidly after World War II, in the 1940's and 1950's. By the 1960's and 1970's it was hardly used except by women of the lay missionary society 'M.U.S.E.U.M' as shown in this image from the 1960's. Today the Ghonnella is frequently used in various historical re-enactments in Malta and Gozo.

Sent by Silvan, a Facebook friend from Għaxaq in Malta.

This is from Wikipedia : The għonnella, pronounced "awe-nel-la" (pl. għonnielen, pronounced "awe-nee-lan"), sometimes referred to as a Faldetta, was a form of women's head dress and shawl, or hooded cloak, unique to the Mediterranean islands of Malta and Gozo. In the dialects of the south-east of Malta it was referred to as ċulqana while in the dialect of Għargħur it was referred to as stamijna. It was generally made of cotton or silk, and usually black or some other dark colour, although from the sixteenth century onwards, noble women and women from wealthier households frequently wore white or brightly coloured għonnielen. The għonnella covered the head, and framed but did not cover the face. The upper part of the għonnella was starched quite stiffly, and given a broad, rounded frame, formed by means of a board, cane, or whalebone. This gave the għonnella a mysterious but alluring, sail-like appearance. From a practical perspective, this broad bonnet captured much needed cooling breezes during the hot Maltese summer. On cooler days, the wearer could wrap the għonnella around her face more tightly, by making a slight adjustment. The lower part of the għonnella could be worn loosely draped around the wearer's bodice and hips, or more tightly wrapped in the case of inclement weather. It would typically fall to mid-calf length. While walking, the wearer would hold one or both sides of the għonnella clasped in her right hand.

Malta - Fort St. Elmo

Originally built in the 16th century and improved over the years, Fort St. Elmo still protects the two harbours at either side of Valetta with its impregnable fortifications.

Sent by Silvan, a Facebook friend from Għaxaq in Malta.

This is from Wikipedia : Fort Saint Elmo is a fortification in Valletta, Malta. It stands on the seaward shore of the Sciberras Peninsula that divides Marsamxett Harbour from Grand Harbour, and commands the entrances to both harbours.

Prior to the arrival of the Knights of Malta in 1530, a watchtower existed on this point. Reinforcement of this strategic site commenced in 1533. By the time of the Ottoman Siege of Malta in 1565, this fortification had been reinforced and extended into a modest star fort.

Fort Saint Elmo was the scene of some of the most intense fighting of the siege, and it withstood massive bombardment from Turkish cannon deployed on Mount Sciberras that overlooked the fort and from batteries on the north arm of Marsamextt Harbour, present site of Fort Tigne. The initial garrison of the fort was around one hundred knights and seven hundred soldiers, including around four hundred Italian troops and sixty armed galley slaves. The garrison could be reinforced by boat from the forts across Grand Harbour.

During the bombardment of the fort, a cannon shot from Fort St Angelo across the Grand Harbour struck the ground close to the Turkish battery. Debris from the impact mortally injured the corsair and Ottoman admiral Turgut Reis (Dragut), one of the most competent of the Ottoman commanders. The fort withstood the siege for over a month, falling to the Turks on 23 June 1565. None of the defending knights survived, and only nine of the Maltese defenders survived by swimming across to Fort St. Angelo on the other side of the Grand Harbour after the fort fell.

Though the fort was reduced to rubble during the bombardments, when the Ottomans abandoned the siege the fort was rebuilt and reinforced, becoming partially incorporated into the seaward bastion of the fortress city of Valletta.

Malta - Fort St. Angelo

The most impressive fortified position in the Grand Harbour, Fort St. Angelo was the centre of the fighting that took place in the Great Siege of 1565. The fort is nowadays in the hands of the Knights of St. John whose flag proudly flies from the ramparts.

Sent by Silvan, a Facebook friend from Għaxaq in Malta.

This is from Wikipedia : Fort St Angelo is a large fortification in Birgu, Malta.

The date of its original construction is unknown and may date back to Roman times. It certainly existed in the early medieval period. The remains of a tower that may date back to the 11th century when Malta was under Arab control can be traced among the more recent works. From the 14th century the Maltese Islands were under Aragonese rule and the fortification was known as Castello a Mare (Castle by the sea) and it was home to the powerful Nava family, feudal lords of the island.

When the the Knights of Malta arrived in Malta in 1530, they chose to settle in Birgu, and Fort St Angelo became the seat of the Grand Master. The Knights made this their primary fortification and substantially reinforced and remodelled it. Fort St Angelo withstood the Turks during the Siege of Malta, though in the aftermath of that siege the Knights built the fortified city of Valletta on Mount Sciberras across the other side of Grand Harbour, and the administrative centre for the knights moved there.

With the coming of the British to Malta the fort retained its importance as a military installation, and the fort was listed as a ship, originally in 1912 as HMS Egremont, but in 1933 renamed as HMS St Angelo. When the Royal Navy left Malta in 1979 the Fort was handed to the Maltese government and since then parts of the Fort have fallen into a state of disrepair.

Today some parts of the fort are leased to the Order of the Knights of St John. Other parts are used as a maritime Museum and most recently commercial development has taken place along the quayside.

The fortification has also undergone some recent repair, though not all parties seem to view this as having been done sympathetically to the site.

Birgu Marina

MALTESE ARCHIPELAGO
Birgu Marina
The colorful Maltese boat or "Dghajsa" ferries tourists across the historical waters of the marina where the mighty fleet of the Knights of St. John once berthed.

Sent by Silvan, a Facebook friend from Għaxaq in Malta.

Note : This is the first postcard received from Malta.

This is from Wikipedia : Birgu (Maltese: Città Vittoriosa or Birgu, Italian: Città Vittoriosa or Vittoriosa) is an ancient city in Malta. It played a vital role in the Siege of Malta in 1565. Its population stood at 2,633 in December 2008.

Birgu, is a very old locality on the south side of the Grand Harbour in Malta with its origins reaching back to prehistoric times. The town occupies a promontory of land with Fort St Angelo at its head and the city of Cospicua at its base.

Birgu is ideally situated for safe anchorage, and over time it has developed a very long history with maritime, mercantile and military activities. Prior to the establishment of Valletta as capital and main city of Malta, military powers that wanted to rule the Maltese islands would need to obtain control of Birgu due to its significant position in the Grand Harbour. Phoenicians, Greeks, Romans, Byzantines, Arabs, Normans, the Angevines, the Aragonese and the Knights of St. John all contributed to the development of Birgu. But none more so than the Knights. Being driven out of Rhodes by the Turks, the Knights were granted Malta as their new home. When the Knights arrived in 1530, they made Birgu the capital city of Malta, since the former capital, Mdina, was inland and did not suit their naval requirements. Almost as soon as they took up residence, the Knights undertook a series of works designed to improve the fortification at Fort St Angelo and of the whole area of the three cities. These works give Birgu and for that matter the whole Maltese island its distinctive architectural character that can be seen today. (Read more)