Malta and its underground tunnels

Well, am in Malta and adjusting to the change in climate, change in job and change in home.  Still a bit shell shocked at how quickly one’s life can change.  Walked along the sea front and was blown away by how beautiful this island is.  A sense of history everywhere.  Huge walled city from the time of the Crusades and each street looks like it is out of an Indiana Jones film.  You expect secret passages and underground tombs, intricate stone carvings are everywhere.  Having lived on Rhodes for almost a decade it is weird to be on Malta as when the Crusaders left Rhodes it was to Malta they came.  It feels like I am following their path, albeit centuries later.  Spotted a group of older local people in the middle of a bay with huge hats on their heads while treading water.  There were almost half a dozen of them all happily chatting away while the huge walls of the city loomed overhead.  Decided to go for a swim there too, as from my experience such characters generally know the best places to swim.  It was delightful and the water so refreshing from the heat.  Gosh, you really feel alive and awake.  One of the ancient stories about this island claimed that one could walk underground from one end of Malta to the other, through ancient tunnels and catacombs.  So it is weird to find this fascinating bit about Malta in National Geographic 2009.

Lost Crusaders' Tunnels Found Near Palace on Malta

Discovered in February 2009 in the capital of the Mediterranean island nation of Malta, this tunnel is thought to be part of a centuries-old underground water system built by the Knights of Malta.

Established in the 11th century, the military order was a key fighting force in the Crusades and The Knights of Malta ruled the island from 1530 to 1798. For centuries it's been said that the crusading Knights of Malta constructed an underground city on the Mediterranean island of Malta, sparking rumours of secret carriageways and military labyrinths.

Now a tunnel network has been uncovered beneath the historic heart of the Maltese capital of Valletta fueling excitement about the truth of such rumours.

The newfound tunnels are said to date back to the 16th and early 17th centuries, when the knights—one of the major Christian military orders of the 11th- to 13th-century Crusades—fortified Valletta against Muslim attack.

The tunnels were uncovered on February 24 during an archaeological survey of the city's Palace Square in advance of an underground-garage project.

Experts think the newly revealed tunnels—though tall enough to allow human passage—formed part of an extensive water system used to pipe vital supplies to the city.

The tunnels were found beneath Palace Square, opposite the Grandmaster's Palace. Once home to the leader of the Knights of Malta, the palace today houses Malta's legislature and the office of the Maltese president.

First, workers found what's believed to have been an underground reservoir just under the paving stones of Palace Square. Near the bottom of the reservoir, some 40 feet (12 meters) down, they discovered a large opening in a reservoir wall—the entrance to a tunnel, which runs half the length of the square and connects to channels, some of which lead toward the palace.  Water security was a major priority during the city's construction, the goal being to maintain the supply even during future sieges.

Water was therefore transported to the city from valleys to the west via an aqueduct, the remains of which still stand. The Palace Square location of the newfound tunnels supports the idea that the network was intended for water. The tunnel apparently fed a grand fountain in Palace Square via the underground reservoir. The fountain was later moved when the British ruled the island, from 1814 to 1964.

This fountain marked the very important achievement of getting water to the city.

By comparison, major cities like London and Vienna "were still wallowing in their own muck."

Liked that line about London and Vienna wallowing in their own muck!  Just goes to show that making a modern car park can uncover more than you bargained for.  Glad to see the authorities changed their mind about the car park, given the excitement about their unexpected finds underground.