Malta : a tourism destination to the land of the Goddess

Abstract

Malta, a small island in the middle of the Mediterranean is extremely rich in its Prehistoric archaeological heritage. Many tourists who visit Malta from all over the world are fascinated by the Prehistoric Temples and their artefacts. This paper shows the ways in which contemporary archaeologists, writers, and artists interpret Neolithic symbolism, particularly the images of Neolithic Goddesses found in various temples on the islands. The well preserved state of the Maltese Temples and their artefacts and their beauty, still attract pilgrims coming from all over the world to visit the Maltese Neolithic Temples – the places for ancient Goddess worship. The description and some interpretation of the temples and Goddess statues and statuettes shed light on the hypothesis that the Goddess representation was a strong symbol of a fertility cult which existed on the islands thousands of years ago. The Prehistoric Goddess remains an important figure of cultural tourism in Malta.