National Museum of Archaeology

The National Museum of Archaeology is housed in the Baroque Auberge de Provence on Republic Street in Valletta, Malta, and holds the principal collection of finds from the island's prehistoric temple period. The galleries follow Malta's story from the earliest settlers through the Neolithic temple builders to the Bronze Age and Phoenician periods. Highlights include carved stone altars, pottery, tools and the small statuettes known for their rounded forms, among them the Sleeping Lady figurine from the Hypogeum. Visitors see pieces recovered from sites such as Ggantija, Hagar Qim, Mnajdra and Tarxien, and the displays help explain how the temples were built and used. The ornate first-floor halls of the auberge, with their high ceilings and carved stone, form an impressive setting. A visit normally takes about an hour. Many visitors go here before Hal Tarxien Temples or the Hal Saflieni Hypogeum, so that the carvings and figurines seen on site can be understood in context. The museum is on the main Republic Street axis, roughly seven minutes on foot from the City Gate terminus. It is a Heritage Malta site, with seasonal hours, a closing on 1 January, Good Friday and 24, 25 and 31 December, and last admission 30 minutes before closing. Phone +356 2122 1623 for enquiries. Photography without flash is generally allowed. Crowds are usually light compared with other Valletta sights, though school groups and cruise visitors can arrive late morning, and the early morning or late afternoon is calmer.