Fortifications: Malta is known as the Fortress Island for its great mass of defensive architecture. The Islands were singled out by Mediterranean powers from Phoenician times onwards for their natural defences and deep, safe harbours. The fortifications can be divided into two periods: those of the Knights and those of the British era. These imposing reminders of the Islands’ wartime past, fascinate not only because they are a feat of military engineering, but also because they are reminiscent of an age of chivalry, crusading, heroism and legendary battles.