VISIT MALTA WITH TSIAKAS TRAVEL Let us guide you through the discovery of our beautiful islands. Culture, art, architecture, culinary delights, warm sandy beaches and a mild climate : you’ll find everything you are looking for in Malta. From the imposing fortifications of Valletta to the medieval narrow streets of Mdina, walk through 7,000 years of history during which the islands have been occupied by Phoenicians, Carthaginians, Arabs, Romans, the Order of the Knights of St. John and the British with each leaving its own impact on the islands and their inhabitants. Tsiakas Travel is your perfect partner for an unforgettable holiday. With several years of experience, we work with the best hotels and service providers on the islands. Our experience and knowledge of the Maltese islands are at your service! Tsiakas Travel Co. Ltd. – Andrew Cunningham Street, Qawra - SPB 1744 – Malta - Tel : 00356 21575588 www.tsiakastravel.com Situated in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, Malta is half way between Europe and Africa. Over the centuries, Malta's location has given it great strategic importance and for this reason being, a succession of powers ruled the islands throughout history. Nowadays, also thanks to it’s position, Malta can be reached from most European and North African capitals in less than a 3 hours flight. The climate is typically Mediterranean, with hot, dry summers, warm and sporadically wet autumns, and short, cool winters with adequate rainfall. Tsiakas Travel Co. Ltd. – Andrew Cunningham Street, Qawra - SPB 1744 – Malta - Tel : 00356 21575588 www.tsiakastravel.com DISCOVER VALLETTA THE CITY BUILT BY THE KNIGHTS Built during the 16th century by the Order of the Knights of St. John, the city was named after one of the twenty eight Grandmasters, Frenchman Jean Parisot de La Valette who laid the foundation stone of this city in 1566. Together with our experienced tourist guide you will visit several sites including baroque churches such as the Co- Cathedral dedicated to St. John, Auberges with impressive rococo facades and the Upper Barracca Gardens from which a breathtaking view over the Grand Harbour can be admired. Tsiakas Travel Co. Ltd. – Andrew Cunningham Street, Qawra - SPB 1744 – Malta - Tel : 00356 21575588 www.tsiakastravel.com The Upper Barracca Gardens in Valletta are situated near Auberge de Castille and possess unsurpassed views across the Grand Harbour over to the Three Cities. The origins of the Upper Barracca Gardens go back to 1661, when it was a private garden of the Italian Knights, whose inns of residence (Auberges) lie close by. It was not before 1824 that it was opened as a public garden and during World War II the garden suffered much destruction. The paths are lined with busts, statues and plaques that chart various personalities and other significant events in Maltese history. Tsiakas Travel Co. Ltd. – Andrew Cunningham Street, Qawra - SPB 1744 – Malta - Tel : 00356 21575588 www.tsiakastravel.com St John’s Co-Cathedral in Valletta is a gem of Baroque art and architecture. It was built as the conventual church for the Knights of St John. The Grand Masters and several knights donated gifts of high artistic value and made enormous contributions to enrich it with only the best works of art. This church is till this very day an important shrine and a sacred place of worship. It is also a venue for cultural events. The Beheading of St. John the Baptist, the famous painting by Caravaggio is situated in the oratory of the St. John’s Co-Cathedral. Tsiakas Travel Co. Ltd. – Andrew Cunningham Street, Qawra - SPB 1744 – Malta - Tel : 00356 21575588 www.tsiakastravel.com This 16th century building is one of the most imposing buildings in Valletta and is the former Sacra Imfermeria of the Order of St John of Jerusalem, now popularly known as the Mediterranean Conference Centre, which is located adjacent to Fort St Elmo and overlooking the Grand Harbour. Tsiakas Travel Co. Ltd. – Andrew Cunningham Street, Qawra - SPB 1744 – Malta - Tel : 00356 21575588 www.tsiakastravel.com The Grand Masters’ Palace was one of the first buildings in the new city of Valletta founded by Grandmaster Jean Parisot de La Vallette in 1566 a few months after the successful outcome of the Great Siege of Malta in 1565. The Palace was enlarged and developed by successive Grandmasters to serve as their official residence. Later, during the British period, it served as the Governor’s Palace and was the seat of Malta’s first constitutional parliament in 1921. The palace today is the seat of the Office of the President of the Republic and the House of Parliament. The State Rooms are the show piece of the Presidential Palace sited at the heart of Malta’s World Heritage Capital city of Valletta. The ground floor of the Palace building hosts the Armoury exhibiting one of the world’s greatest arms collections. Tsiakas Travel Co. Ltd. – Andrew Cunningham Street, Qawra - SPB 1744 – Malta - Tel : 00356 21575588 www.tsiakastravel.com Constructed in 1732, the Manoel Theatre situated in the capital city of Valletta, is Malta's oldest and Europe's third- oldest working theatre. The venue, small in size, has a richly adorned, glorious Rococo interior. It hosts some of Malta's best orchestral concerts, operas, drama, musicals and more. Tsiakas Travel Co. Ltd. – Andrew Cunningham Street, Qawra - SPB 1744 – Malta - Tel : 00356 21575588 www.tsiakastravel.com The National Museum of Archaeology in Valletta currently houses a spectacular range of artifacts dating back to Malta’s Neolithic period; from the Għar Dalam phase (5200 BC) up to the Tarxien phase (2500 BC). On display at this museum are the earliest tools used by the prehistoric people to facilitate their daily tasks; representations of animal life and also human figures, both elements showing the great artistic skills of the dwellers of the island at the time also giving us an insight on their daily lives. Highlights include the ‘Sleeping Lady’ from the Ħal Saflieni Hypogeum, the ‘Venus of Malta’ from Ħaġar Qim and the large altars from the Tarxien Temples. Tsiakas Travel Co. Ltd. – Andrew Cunningham Street, Qawra - SPB 1744 – Malta - Tel : 00356 21575588 www.tsiakastravel.com MDINA, RABAT & MOSTA Mdina also known as ‘Citta' Notabile': the noble city, was home then, as now, to Malta's noble families; some are descendants of the Norman, Sicilian and Spanish overlords who made Mdina their home from the 12th century onwards. Impressive palaces line its narrow, shady streets. Accompanied by our experienced tourist guide, walk through one of Europe's finest examples of an ancient walled city and extraordinary in its mix of medieval and baroque architecture. Like nearby Mdina, Rabat played a major role in Malta's past and is a prime source of its cultural heritage. Tsiakas Travel Co. Ltd. – Andrew Cunningham Street, Qawra - SPB 1744 – Malta - Tel : 00356 21575588 www.tsiakastravel.com The mosaic pavements in the Domvs Romana in Rabat rank among the finest and oldest mosaic compositions from the western Mediterranean, alongside those of Pompeii and Sicily. They were discovered in 1881 just outside Mdina in the remains of a rich and sumptuously decorated town house of the Roman period. This museum was one of the very first to be opened to the public. Tsiakas Travel Co. Ltd. – Andrew Cunningham Street, Qawra - SPB 1744 – Malta - Tel : 00356 21575588 www.tsiakastravel.com The Catacombs in Rabat are a typical complex of interconnected, underground Roman cemeteries that were in use up to the 4th century AD. They are located on the outskirts of the old Roman capital Melite (today’s Mdina), since Roman law prohibited burials within the city. These Catacombs represent the earliest and largest archaeological evidence of Christianity in Malta. Tsiakas Travel Co. Ltd. – Andrew Cunningham Street, Qawra - SPB 1744 – Malta - Tel : 00356 21575588 www.tsiakastravel.com Dedicated to St. Mary the Assumption but better known as the Mosta Rotunda, it’s impressive dome is said to be the third largest unsupported church dome in Europe. The Rotunda’s circular design is based on the Pantheon of Rome. During World War II, a bomb pierced through the dome and rolled across the floor inside the church. Miraculously, the bomb did not explode! A replica of the bomb that pierced through the dome, can be seen in the sacristy. Tsiakas Travel Co. Ltd. – Andrew Cunningham Street, Qawra - SPB 1744 – Malta - Tel : 00356 21575588 www.tsiakastravel.com Marsaxlokk Village Marsaxlokk is a small picturesque village in the south eastern coast of Malta. It is referred to as the 'fishing village' . Marsaxlokk is located around a natural harbour which is the second largest on the islands. This natural shelter is home to the traditional Maltese fishing boats, the colourful Luzzu's. These gondola type of boats are used by fishermen to capture 'lampuki', a Mediterranean fish mostly caught between August and December. A luzzu will have a mythical eye painted on both sides of the prow, which should protect the fisherman and his family from evil. Every Sunday morning, Marsaxlokk is host of the biggest fish market in Malta. Stalls are erected all around the quayside and fishermen sell their catch. Apart from fish one finds in this market clothes, shoes, food, antiques, books and souvenirs. Tsiakas Travel Co. Ltd. – Andrew Cunningham Street, Qawra - SPB 1744 – Malta - Tel : 00356 21575588 www.tsiakastravel.com The Three Cities The Three Cities of Birgu, Bormla and Isla offer an intriguing insight into Malta and its history. The Three Cities can rightly claim to be the cradle of Maltese history, as Vittoriosa, Senglea and Cospicua have provided a home and fortress to almost everyone who settled on the Islands. Their harbour inlets have been in use since Phoenician times: the docks always providing a living for local people, but also leaving them vulnerable when Malta's rulers were at war.