Malta

We have visited Malta twice; these photos are from our second trip in 2009. It's a fascinating small country, packed with history: the megalithic tombs of Hagar Qim and Mnajdra* date from over 5,500 years ago, the islands were later settled or conquered by the Greeks, Phoenicians, Romans, Byzantines, Arabs, Normans and then the Knights Hospitaller (or the Order of St John) following their expulsion from Rhodes. The Knights established and heavily fortified the capital Valetta* following the Ottoman siege in 1565. After a brief French occupation, it became a British colony in 1814, before gaining independence in 1964. Photos taken with a rather basic bridge camera! (* = UNESCO World Heritage Site)