Information
Landmark: Kordin BastionCity: Paola
Country: Malta
Continent: Europe
Kordin Bastion, Paola, Malta, Europe
Overview
Kordin Bastion, a centuries-old fortification, stands in southern Malta, tucked into Paola near the stone walls of the Cottonera Lines.The bastion is one piece of the vast defenses the Knights of St. John built, later reshaped under British rule, its stone still bearing the chisel marks of both eras.In the 17th century, the Knights of St. John built the Cottonera Lines-Kordin Bastion among them-to guard Grand Harbour and other key points on the island from foreign attack, when Malta stood as a crucial military stronghold in the heart of the Mediterranean.The Knights’ fortifications-bastions like Kordin among them-were vital for guarding Malta’s shores and keeping Valletta and its busy ports safe.When the British took over in 1800, they strengthened the walls and adapted them to meet their own military strategy.Much of the Knights’ original structure still stands, but later changes show the military thinking of the 19th century.Kordin Bastion forms part of a chain of strongholds, each guarding vital approaches and offering clear sightlines toward Marsaxlokk Bay and the Grand Harbour.Built with thick stone walls, angled faces, and broad gun platforms, it was designed to withstand artillery fire.Perched high above the coast, it commanded sweeping views of Malta’s southern shoreline and served as a key coastal defense against naval attack.Perched in a key spot, it guarded the Grand Harbour and the vital naval routes threading past Malta; Kordin Bastion stood as one of several strongholds forming the Cottonera Lines.These defenses once formed a vast chain of forts guarding Malta’s coastline, and under British rule the bastions stayed in service, especially during World War II, when the island was a crucial base for the Royal Navy.Today, Kordin Bastion still stands as a historic site, though much of it lies in crumbling stone and weather-worn walls, the result of decades without steady upkeep.You can still spot fragments of the bastion’s walls, rough stone catching the light, but it’s not a big draw for tourists, and visitors are rarely allowed inside.If you’re drawn to Malta’s military past or its old bastions, you can wander the grounds around Kordin Bastion, where stone walls still catch the afternoon sun.Over the years, the surroundings have changed, with houses and small shops now standing nearby.The bastion still stands, a silent marker of the island’s strategic military past, its weathered stone catching the late-afternoon sun; it forms part of the vast Cottonera Lines, alongside landmarks like Valletta’s Fort St. Elmo-home to the National War Museum-and Fort Ricasoli, while nearby Marsaxlokk Bay glitters with painted fishing boats and the town of Paola offers the Hal Saflieni Hypogeum, an ancient underground temple and UNESCO site, all underscoring Kordin Bastion’s role in Malta’s storied defense under both the Knights of St. John and the British Empire.It may not draw the biggest crowds in Malta, but this stronghold still anchors the island’s defenses and reveals the stonework and clever design that once kept invaders at bay through centuries of unrest.
