Corinthia San Gorg Hotel - St. Georges Bay
Corinthia Marina
Hotel - St Georges Bay
Corinthia Palace Hotel - Attard
Malta is best viewed in the soft glow of twilight when
the warm rays of the setting sun turn her dusty limestone
facade to a majestic burnished gold. The steamy heat subsides,
and Malta slowly awakens from her lengthy afternoon siesta.
As if by magic, multicoloured strings of light begin to
twinkle in the waterside cafes and give the entire island
a festive air.
For thousands of years foreigners have been attracted
to Malta's shores. Malta has
often been referred to as the island of sunshine and history.
Her history was pre-destined by the excellent natural
harbour and strategic location. The harbour provided
a sheltered base for naval fleets while the island itself,
in prime position at the crossroads of the Mediterranean
basin, enabled her current colonising power to exercise
control over the vast and turbulent sea.
The attention of potential settlers has been attracted
over the centuries by various powerful nations; Phoenicians,
Romans, Arabs, Ottoman Turks, French, and more recently the
British, until Malta became a Republic in 1974. It is the
Knights of Malta with whom
we most often associate the country though, and their
legacy of the beautiful sixteenth century fortified
city of Valletta.
It is for that reason that Luciano Cristina, General
Manager of the newly revamped Corinthia Jerma Palace
Hotel, is inviting visitors to not only come and rediscover
the charms of the Corinthia Jerma Palace Hotel but also
issuing a challenge to discover the South. "Our
greatest assets are history, architecture and culture,
combined with stunning bays and coves as well as unbeatable
dive sites," says Borg. "So many people
forget what is beyond the gates of Valletta and yet the
South offers some of Malta's finest historical sites. We
are seeking to attract more visitors from within the Islands
and abroad that appreciate the uniqueness of our area."
It was Voltaire that commented two hundred years after
the fact that "Nothing is better known than the
Siege of Malta." But how many people remember that
it was in Marsaxlokk where the Turks first came ashore?
Today as you sit in the fanciful little restaurants
and bars dotted along the picturesque harbour, it is
hard to image that where the fleet of brightly coloured
'luzzus' now bob at anchor that it was once the entry
point of 48,000 marauding Ottoman Turks set on conquering
not only Malta but all of Southern Europe.
A short distance away is the archaeological site of
Tas-Silg where Phoenician seafarers erected a temple
to the Goddess Astarte overlooking the harbour. This
is also where the custom of putting a pair of eyes on
the bows of fishing boats originated – to 'see'
any danger in advance and frighten it away before damage
could occur. There are the remains of Neolithic buildings
superimposed by Punic and Byzantine structures and the only
remains of a mosque in Malta. Norman coins have
been found at Tas-Silg and down where the Order erected
Fort St. Lucian is now the Marine Research Centre. Marsaxlokk
Bay still sees the flags of many carriers from around the
world – but now they are painted on the sides
of ultra modern container ships.
Marsascala,
which blossomed as a resort with the building of the Corinthia Jerma Palace, is an outshoot of Zabbar,
a much older village. This is where the beautiful Church
of Our Lady of Graces can be admired. Birzebbuga followed
the same pattern and added the only sandy beach embellished
with palm trees on the Island at Pretty Bay. Ir-Ramla is
another sandy beach along St. Thomas Bay.
Older than Valletta, The Three Cities - Vittoriosa
(Birgu), Senglea ( L-Isla ) and Cospicua (Bormla) have
a unique charm and character that distinguish them from
all other towns in Malta. Dating back to the 16th century,
these were the 'rest and recreation' areas of the first Knights
and evidence of their presence remains everywhere, especially
in Vittoriosa. Guarded on the seaward side
by the imposing Fort St. Angelo – the first seat
of the Grandmaster in Malta, Vittoriosa is home to the
National Maritime Museum, housed in a former naval bakery.
The gloomily fascinating Folk Museum is situated in
the Inquisitor's Palace, formerly the seats of the Inquisitions
in Malta.
Between the years of 1530 and 1565, the whole area
was turned into a magnificent metropolis of palaces,
churches and a hospital that became famous throughout
Europe. In Cospicua you will find a magnificent Parish
Church, with its Oratory choked full of unique masterpieces,
the Cottonera line and the St. Clements Retrenchment. Senglea,
named after the Grand Master Claude de la Senglea, was almost
completely rebuilt after the Second World War, but is still
home to two more interesting churches; St. Phillips and Our
Lady of Victories.
In no other area on Malta is the evolution of prehistoric
temple building better seen than it is at the megalithic
temples of Tarxien. Here pointy nosed cats preen themselves,
regally perched atop Fourth and Third Millennium ruins.
There are animal representations carved in relief on
stone tablets, altars and screens decorated with spirals
and other motifs and ancient fireplaces. The most fascinating
of all is the colossal stone sculpture, originally 2.5
metres in height, representing a Mother Goddess, one
of the best remaining female fertility deities in the
Mediterranean. Around 1,800BC the temples, having been
abandoned for about two hundred years, were renovated
by Bronze Age folk and used as crematoria and repositories
for the ashes of their dead.
Nearby in Paola, The Hypogeum is a series of mysterious
underground chambers, 13.2 yards below street level,
dating to around 2,400BC. One intriguing bit of knowledge
surrounds the 'Oracle Room', which was probably originally
accessible only to the initiated. Inside this chamber
is a shallow hole in the wall, something like a niche.
While the voice of a man facing it will echo, the higher-pitched
female voice has no echoing effect at all. In another
chamber the fragmented skeletons of over 7000 souls
were found mixed with ochre. Some believe that it was
related to a cult of the dead but perhaps it was only
the bodies of men far too fascinated with their own
voices.
High on the southern cliffs, the temples of Hagar
Qim and Mnajdra date from 2500BC. The cave of Ghar Dalam
is at least 130,000 years old and a small museum contains
elephant and hippo teeth found inside. Sea caves indent
the southern coastline and few people are unaware of
the Blue Grotto.
"Malta has been called a small island with
a big history," added Mr. Cristina. "Maltese
villages still exercise a sort of unexplainable enchantment
to those that take their time in visiting them. In Malta
the past and present often seem to mingle. However, we invite
you to learn that for yourselves and come "Discover the South" at Corinthia
Jerma Palace.
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