Hal Saflieni Hypogeum,Malta.

The Hal Saflieni Hypogeum (underground cemetery) was discovered in 1902 on a hill overlooking the innermost part of the Grand Harbour of Valletta, in the town of Paola. It is a unique prehistoric monument, which seems to have been conceived as an underground cemetery, originally containing the remains of about 7,000 individuals. The cemetery was in use throughout the Zebbug, Ggantija and Tarxien Phases of Maltese Prehistory, spanning from around 4000 B.C. to 2500 B.C.Received with thanks from Silvan in Malta..
Date of Inscription: 1980
Ref: 130

Megalithic Temples of Malta.

   # Stefanie.

City of Valletta, Malta.

Malta’s capital Valletta is a fortified city located on a hilly peninsula between two of the finest natural harbours in the Mediterranean. The Siege of Malta in 1565 captured the European imagination and mobilised the resources needed to create the new city of Valletta, founded soon after, in 1566. The Knights of St John, aided by the most respected European military engineers of the 16th century, conceived and planned the city as a single, holistic creation of the late Renaissance, with a uniform grid plan within fortified and bastioned city walls. Since its creation, the city has witnessed a number of rebuilding projects, yet those have not compromised the harmony between the dramatic topography and the Hippodamian grid. The fabric of the city includes a compact ensemble of 320 monuments that encapsulate every aspect of the civil, religious, artistic and military functions of its illustrious founders.Thank you Roger Stevens in Malta for this beautiful card and stamp.      Ref: 131