Due to their strategic location the Islands have attracted various settlers throughout the centuries, who in turn left an abundance of historic sites for visitors to explore. The well-preserved megalithic temples are now the oldest surviving freestanding structures in the world. This dates habitation on the islands of Malta and Gozo to more than 7000 years. Neolithic, Copper and Bronze Age civilizations have left impressive prehistoric remains. Malta's position in the centre of the Mediterranean, and its history of foreign rule under the Romans, the Arabs, the Normans, the Spanish, the Order of St John and finally the British, have left layers of cultural traditions.
Valletta, the capital, is a fine example of a fortified city with a number of distinct roles primarily residential, commercial, administrative and touristic. In the wake of significant war damage, Valletta has witnessed a rapid population decline as affluent residents left the city leading to a need for urban regeneration in the area. This situation is also present across the Grand Harbour, in the Cottonera. Malta's historic cities have already benefited from the work of rehabilitation works. However it is now widely recognised that a more holistic approach involving social, community and economic partners will be needed to achieve the regeneration of this urban core