Crete, Cyprus and Malta: how those three Mediterranean islands compare to each other? (places, people)

[MalaMan]

Has anyone been to the islands of Crete, Cyprus and Malta, in the Mediterranean?

How the three islands compare to each other?

How is the people? The culture?

[virulentpeach]

Malta = Semitic-speaking Sicilians basically.

Cretans = Culturally like the rest of Greece.

Cypriots = A cultural and genetic hybrid of Greeks, Turks, and Levantines (the pre-Greek and pre-Turkish population was Phoenician).

[dunno what to put here]

All are corrupt

[robertpolyglot]

Originally Posted by virulentpeach

Malta = Semitic-speaking Sicilians basically.

Cretans = Culturally like the rest of Greece.

Cypriots = A cultural and genetic hybrid of Greeks, Turks, and Levantines (the pre-Greek and pre-Turkish population was Phoenician).

This. They are a "suburb" of Sicily. So, I think I'd like it. I've heard Italian tourists like it. Except that they drive on the other side of the street, I think, as they do in the UK.

[Trimac20]

Crete was home to the oldest civilization in Europe. I'd like to see the ruins of the Palace at Knossos one day.

[MalaMan]

Thanks for the answers...

Is Crete really identical to the rest of Greece? No peculiarities?

How the language of Malta sounds? Is it very difficult to understand?

And what pre-Greek influences can be seen in Cyprus?

[robertpolyglot]

Originally Posted by MalaMan

How the language of Malta sounds? Is it very difficult to understand?

Maltese is supposedly a combination of Sicilian and Arabic influences. Visitors can speak English, Italian and the Sicilian dialect and get by without problems.

I've seen pictures of Valletta, its capital. It looks much like a Sicilian port. Now I want to go to Malta.

[chilaili]

Originally Posted by MalaMan

Thanks for the answers...

And what pre-Greek influences can be seen in Cyprus?

If I remember correctly, there really aren't any. Despite the island changing "ownership" so many times over the centuries, most of the island ruins are either ancient Greek/Byzantine (eg; Salamis or Kyrenia castle) or from the Crusader days, such as Buffavento or St Hilarion. Not much left from the Phoenician or Egyptian days altho there are some neolithic ruins. A lot of the ruins are in the northern half of the island, controlled by the Turkish government. One of my favourites was always Bellapais Abbey, immortalised in Laurence Durrell's book Bitter Lemons.

This site gives you a great list of what there is to see: Almond Holiday Village

[Thomas R.]

Originally Posted by MalaMan

Thanks for the answers...

Is Crete really identical to the rest of Greece? No peculiarities?

How the language of Malta sounds?

I guess you could try these.


Popeye the sailor (Maltese Version) - YouTube


Eurovision 1972 - Malta - YouTube


Maltese Singers - Frans Baldacchino: Bejn Malti, Ingliz u Taljan - YouTube

As I recall reading it's like Arabic, but with a fair amount of Italian influences.

[MalaMan]

Wow, Maltese really sounds like Arabic!