Evidence of a flourishing artistic expression can be traced back to prehistoric times on the Maltese islands.

The islands’ first inhabitants, who hailed from nearby Sicily, expressed their creativity through stonework, graffiti, pottery, architecture, and the erection of massive temples that have survived through time until today.

One of the most famous scenes from Homer’s Odyssey – ancient Greece’s most well-known epic poem and the most influential piece of literature in European history – features the Maltese islands quite prominently in its enchanting verses.

Over the past millennia, Malta has been touched by many cultures. These distinct peoples have left their mark on the island’s architecture, music, literature, religion, art and theatre.

Walking around Malta is like skimming through the pages of an old history book, which is another reason the island boasts several UNESCO World Heritage sites, probably the highest number of such sites relative to this country’s size.

“Despite its geographical limitations, Malta does leave its mark in the world of art and culture.”

The old walled city of Mdina, originally called Melite (a name of Greek origins), served as a Roman settlement for centuries. Melita fell to the Roman Republic in 218 BC, and it remained part of the Roman and later the Byzantine Empire until 870 AD when it was captured and destroyed by the Aghlabids Arabs, which came from nearby Sicily. 

The city was then rebuilt and renamed ‘Medina’, giving rise to the present name Mdina. It remained Malta’s capital city until 1530.

The Knights of St. John built the present capital, Valletta, with the help of Maltese and Italian architects Girolmu Cassar and Francesco Laparelli. 

Both cities are rich in exquisite architecture and archaeological remains and hold many renowned pieces of art from Caravaggio, Mattia Preti and many others.

Despite its geographical limitations, Malta does leave its mark in the world of art and culture. In opera, for instance, leading tenor Joseph Calleya is Malta’s recent global ‘export’.

The inventor of Lateral Thinking, who coined the term ‘thinking outside the box’, was the Maltese academic Edward de Bono, who passed away in 2021.

Today, with its liberal and cosmopolitan appeal, Malta remains extraordinarily rich in artistic talent, with artists in many genres exploring different fields and exhibitions and events running throughout the year.