( CNN ) -- Whoever came up with the phrase `` location is everything '' when it comes to real estate must have had Malta in mind . This tiny island nation sits in the middle of the Mediterranean , about 60 miles south of Sicily and 180 miles east of the African coast at Tunisia . The result is that anyone who was anyone visited , settled , invaded or conquered this prime piece of land . And with each leaving their mark , a visit to Malta is truly a journey through the region 's history . The Republic of Malta is actually three islands . The country 's name comes from the largest of the three ; to the northwest of that is Gozo , and in between them is Comino . And tiny really means tiny . At only 122 square miles ( 316 square kilometers ) , the total area of the country is about one-tenth the size of Rhode Island , by far the smallest of the United States . London , New York , Tokyo -- each of these metropolitan areas is bigger than Malta . That compactness , coupled with an extensive bus system , lets you see the best of what it has to offer with ease . Begin your journey through the millennia with the stone temples at Ħaġar Qim and Mnajdra , on the southern coast . Construction on these sites started around 3600 BC , making them centuries older than the best guesses we have for England 's Stonehenge . And the temples are every bit as mysterious , since it is not clear how or why they were built . The structures are n't as massive as their English counterpart , and they lack the graceful symmetry . Yet walk among the exposed chambers -- with the sea just beyond the cliffs -- and you know that the generations who built these temples believed they were constructing something for the ages . It is here that you start to get a sense of what sets a journey to Malta apart from Europe 's more visited travel destinations . Ħaġar Qim and Mnajdra are just two of seven ancient temples that make up a UNESCO World Heritage site described by a leading prehistorian as `` the oldest free-standing monuments in the world . '' These sites represent just one epoch of many you will find on your trip . Travel seven miles ( 11 kilometers ) to the east -- and skip forward more than 2,000 years from the time the stones for those temples were laid -- and you will be standing where the first seafaring Phoenicians arrived on Malta from the eastern end of the Mediterranean . To this day the village of Marsaxlokk is a key port for the country 's fishing industry , seen in the market held every Sunday and in the seafood restaurants lining the harbor . But look closely at the colorfully painted traditional fishing boats known as luzzu bobbing gently on the water , and you ca n't help but notice how they are still painted with the Eye of Osiris , a custom said to have been handed down by the Phoenicians to ward off evil . From Marsaxlokk head northwest 10 miles ( 16 kilometers ) inland toward the walled city of Mdina , which sits on one of the highest plateaus on the island . Just outside the main gate of this walled city is the Domus Romana , or `` Roman house . '' Here we have moved forward another thousand years to when Malta was part of the Roman Republic . The Roman House is a museum built on the excavated ruins of a nobleman 's home , dating back to sometime shortly after 100 B.C . While the museum on the main floor houses a respectable collection of artifacts , it is the excavated floors of the villa -- among the finest mosaics uncovered anywhere in the former empire -- that will astonish you . As for Mdina itself , the city 's name comes from the Arabic word simply meaning `` the city , '' which belies its status as the former capital of Malta . A millennium after our Roman nobleman walked across his tiled floors Malta was part of the Fatimid Caliphate -- a form of government based on the tenets of Islam -- that stretched across northern Africa and into the Arabian Peninsula . It was during this period that the moat and walls that surround Mdina were first constructed . With few vehicles permitted today inside its gates , a walk through the narrow stone alleys of Mdina makes it clear why it is known locally as `` the silent city . '' For one of the best views anywhere on Malta , make your way to the upper terrace of the Fontanella Tea Garden restaurant . On a clear day over a cup of coffee you can see practically the entire island . While the island nation has changed hands countless times over the ages , the influence that is most widely felt in Malta today did n't come from an invading empire , but from a group known as the Knights Hospitallers , later the Knights of Malta . This order was first set up to run a hospital in Jerusalem for pilgrims who traveled there and eventually developed into a religious and military order . When Islamic forces pushed them out in 1291 , the Knights re-established themselves first in Cyprus and then in Rhodes before arriving on Malta in the 16th century . It was in those first decades on the island that the Knights of Malta built the current capital , Valletta , following an unsuccessful siege by Ottoman forces . With its impenetrable stone walls and regular battle towers surrounding a regular grid of streets , the entire city stands as tribute to the order 's military and engineering prowess . Within the battlements , the interiors of churches such as St John 's Co-Cathedral , completed in 1577 , are among the most ornate that you will find anywhere . These monuments , like those reaching back into prehistory , outlasted both their creators and those who followed to lay their own claim to Malta . The Knights were forced out by the French , when Napoleon invaded in 1798 , who were expelled a couple years later by the British . World War II saw a failed attempt by Axis powers to bomb the country into submission . Independence came in 1964 . Today Malta , still as staunchly Catholic as it was under the Knights , is content to take its place as part of the European Union . A trip to Malta is not merely a walk through a living history book . Along the way are stunning natural formations , like the Blue Grotto on the southern coast near the village of Żurrieq . When the weather permits and seas are not too choppy , boats take visitors to the 140-foot-high natural stone arch and surrounding caves . Of course , on an island this small you are never far from the coast , though sun seekers often head to the beaches of the northern resort of Mellieħa to soak in the rays . The cafés and wine bars of modern-day Valletta make you feel like you 're in southern Italy , as will much of the cuisine . The nightlife at the clubs in St. Julian 's , just north of Valletta , can hold its own against just about anything the rest of Europe has to offer . Prices for hotels and restaurants overall are less than on mainland Europe , especially in the off-season , and the bus system on Malta makes getting around simple and affordable . Full-day tickets are only €1.50 ( about $ 2 . ) You can get pretty much anywhere from the main terminal just outside the Valletta city gate . No matter where you go and what you see , Malta 's unique spot -- in the Mediterranean and in history -- is felt everywhere .
The island nation of Malta blends thousands of years of culture . Seven ancient temples date back more than 5,000 years . Roman , Phoenician , Islamic and Catholic influences are evident .