Tourist information - Valetta
The capital of Malta is inextricably connected to the history of the military and charitable Order of St John of Jerusalem. It was ruled successively by the Phoenicians, Greeks, Carthaginians, Romans, Byzantines, Arabs and the Order of the Knights of St John. Valletta's 320 monuments, all in the area of 55 ha, making it the most concentrated historic areas in the world. The main architectural features are the residence of the governor, formerly the palace of the grand masters of the Knights of Saint John of Jerusalem (referred to as the Knights of Malta), and also the cathedral containing tombs of the knights. The city's historical sites and temperate weather conditions captivate numerous tourists to Valetta. Valetta is the chief town, port, and capital of Malta, around the northeastern coast of the island of Malta, on the Mediterranean Sea. It occupies a rocky tongue of land, on either side of which are harbors. Valetta is the chief administrative, commercial, and cultural center of Malta. Until 1979 British and North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) naval bases were located in Valletta's harbors. At present these ports have been turned for commercial service. Ljao/jan/1v21