Torri ta' San Tumas

St Thomas Tower is a coastal defense fortification built in 1614 by the Knights of St John on a narrow peninsula separating St Thomas Bay from Marsaskala Creek in southeastern Malta. It was part of a chain of watchtowers the Order erected to guard against corsair raids from North Africa and the Ottoman Empire, during an era when slave-taking piracy made Malta's coastline a frontier of constant threat. Carefully restored by the heritage organization Wirt Artna, the tower now holds three floors of exhibits dedicated to corsair history and Mediterranean seafaring, including a short film on the second floor. Rooftop access to all four corner turrets rewards visitors with open sea views that make the tower's original defensive purpose immediately legible.