National Museum of Archaeology
National Museum of Archaeology is one of the narrated stops on the self-guided Valletta audio walking tour in Gingerguide. Plan about ~45 min here. Press play at the spot for its two to three minute story, or ask the AI guide anything about it.
- Type museum
- Suggested visit ~45 min
- Valletta Valletta guide
About National Museum of Archaeology
Inside a 1571 knights' inn, Malta's prehistory: temple altars, corpulent Tarxien statues, and the palm-sized Sleeping Lady figurine from the Hal Saflieni Hypogeum, asleep for five millennia.
The National Museum of Archaeology occupies the Auberge de Provence, a former inn of the Order of St John built in 1571 on Republic Street and generally attributed to the architect Girolamo Cassar. It opened as Malta's National Museum in January 1958 under its first curator, Captain Charles G. Zammit, and was renamed the National Museum of Archaeology in 1974, when the fine-arts collection was relocated. It is managed by Heritage Malta.
The ground-floor galleries trace Maltese prehistory from the Neolithic, around 5200 BC, through the Temple Period and into the Bronze Age, with altars, pottery and statues recovered from the megalithic temples, including corpulent figures from Tarxien. Its best-known exhibit is the Sleeping Lady, a clay figurine about twelve centimetres long from the Hal Saflieni Hypogeum, dated by Heritage Malta to roughly 3600-2500 BC. The upper floor holds the National Numismatic Collection of over sixteen thousand items. The museum lies within Valletta, a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Did you know? The Sleeping Lady is often called a mother goddess, but because she was found in a burial complex, scholars read her equally as a priestess in ritual sleep or a figure of death.
How long should you spend at National Museum of Archaeology?
Plan about ~45 min at National Museum of Archaeology. That is enough to take it in and hear its narrated story; stay longer if it grabs you. The tour is self-guided, so there is no rush.
Is National Museum of Archaeology worth visiting?
National Museum of Archaeology is one of the 14 sights the Gingerguide team researched and narrated in Valletta, so it earns a place on a self-guided walk. Its story explains why it matters, and you can ask the AI guide anything the story leaves open.
Nearby stops in Valletta
Sources and further reading
Where to check the facts about National Museum of Archaeology and read more:
Day 2 of the Valletta in 2 days itinerary →
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Hear the story of National Museum of Archaeology
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