Maltese history encompasses both Christian and Muslim faiths and this is reflected in language and culture (Durick 2011).
Predominantly Muslim during the Arab period, in the twelfth century the Norman Conquest led to the flourishing of Christianity on the island.
European nations including the French in the eighteenth century and the British in the nineteenth century established new governments (Malta was a military base for Britain up until 1979).
The buildings near to the port where Marsa detention centre is located are steeped in this colonial history and my general feeling of discomfort at being in the area is intensified when my guide points out that the now dilapidated warehouses – such as the one pictured above – were once at the heart of a bustling trade route of the British Empire.
