Malta Photos

Historic Malta 1 / 3

Mark Merlino - Home page

Page 2

Page 3

Throughout its history, until the present day, most building in Malta has been done in Limestone, a relatively soft sedimentary rock. Until the 20th century, working limestone was a rather laborious task, done mainly part time by Maltese farmers. Some of the finest examples of limestone architecture in Malta are the fortifications built in the 16th century by the Knights of Saint John. These photos show the walls of Senglea and Fort Saint Angelo.

Life in Malta has always involved a constant struggle against the difficulties of living on a rocky island. Since there is virtually no permanent natural water supply, the Maltese have developed water catching systems, such as the ancient well shown above. As well, pulling carts over rocky surfaces was never easy, so cart tracks have been dug and from at least Phoenician and Roman times, until the construction of modern roads.