Malta is kind of an interesting place. Malta is an island just south of Italy, between Sicily and North Africa. The island is over 90 percent Christian (Roman Catholic) but Islamic culture left a profound influence on the island. (more details about the history down below) Up until very modern times, Malta kind of represented an unusual confluence of Christian and Middle Eastern Arab cultures. A clip from a video by Desmond Morris https://www.tiktok.com/@fibonacci16...21765?is_copy_url=1&is_from_webapp=v1&lang=en transcript from segment of the video When a young virgin living in this house reached a marriageable age, her family would advertise the fact by placing a pot of basil just there, on that stone bracket. Basil is a plant symbolic of lovers. This would advertise to everyone walking past that there was a young girl in here, ready to be wed. You might wonder why they went to such a lot of trouble, why didn't she just go out and meet a boyfriend somewhere? Well, the answer is that in earlier days, she wasn't allowed out. In the strictest times of all, she would only be allowed out twice in her life, once to be married and once to be buried. The rest of the time would be spent behind this high walls. But there were generous courtyards and a whole world inside here in which she could live, in safety and security. But of course, living like that it was essential for her to have this kind of special availability display. (pointing to pot of basil right outside the window) Even when the rules were relaxed a little, and she was allowed outside to go to church, she was required to conceal herself behind Malta's version of the veil, the all-covering faldetta. It was not only fearsomely dark and forbidding, it also managed to disguise her human shape and destroy any hint of female contours. It was a clothing display that positively shouted "Keep back! Keep away!" to any passing male. It certainly left little doubt about the non-availability of the person wearing it. summary of the island's history When the island of Malta was conquered by Tunisian Muslims in 870 the native population was virtually completely wiped out. The island was then settled by Muslims, many who came from Sicily which was then under Muslim control. Although Sicily had been Christianized by around the year 300, Christianity almost completely disappeared after Arab occupation began in 827. (Presumably the Christians either fled to Italy or converted under pressure). Malta returned to being under Christian rule in 1127. Beginning in 1249, Muslims on the island came under increasing pressure to convert, eventually no Muslims being left. Later, thousands of Muslims who had been taken prisoner from maritime raids were brought to the island, classified as slaves but with substantial amounts of freedom; and at one time may have represented about a third of the island's total population.