Malta

Interesting Facts About Malta

• Malta was originally colonised by Phoenician traders after 1000 BC as a stop on their trade routes from the eastern Mediterranean to the Strait of Gibraltar
• The island's capital was renamed Melita by the Romans, derived from the Greek and Roman name for the island
• During the Roman period, Malta produced olives, carob, and textiles as primary goods
• Local Roman coinage from Malta bore inscriptions in Ancient Greek and Punic motifs, showing Maltese resistance to Greek and Roman cultures
• The Roman period introduced highly decorative mosaic floors to Malta
• Malta's religious allegiance during Byzantine rule oscillated between the Pope and the Patriarch of Constantinople
• The islands remained under Byzantine control until 870, when they were conquered by the Arabs

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