Malta contains the world's oldest free-standing ruins, older than Stonehenge, 1000 years older than the Pyramids. The Maltese claim to be the earliest Christians, after St. Paul was shipwrecked there on his way to Rome. In 1565, the Knights of St. John (later and still called the Order of Malta) with 500 knights and 5000 soldiers withstood the Great Siege, defeating 40,000 Turks and changing the course of history in the Mediterranean.
After the siege, the Order built the modern capital, Valletta, which for centuries was considered by many to be the most impregnable bastion on Earth. Stand on its ramparts, and it is instantly obvious why. Napoleon captured Malta on his way to Egypt, and the islands became a British protectorate after the people revolted against French rule. In World War II, Malta stood alone in the middle of the Mediterranean against the Italian and German airforces, defending itself for several weeks with three obsolete bi-plane fighters: Faith, Hope and Charity. You can still see Faith in the National War Museum.
