Heritage Malta is organising another event in the popular Sundays with Heritage Malta. The next event will be held on Sunday 27th April and will focus on Mdina and Rabat. Through this activity which will be the last of the season, Heritage Malta will be giving the public the opportunity to visit the National Museum of Natural History, the Domvs Romana, St Paul’s Catacombs and the Jewish Catacombs in Rabat. Heritage Malta is also organising Night of the Museum a parallel activity on Saturday 26th April. This event is being held under the patronage of the Council of Europe.

The highlight of the event will be the Grenfell Egyptian Collection an exhibition of Egyptian artefacts including a mummy, of Nubian or Kushite origin which was brought to Malta by Field Marshal Francis Wallace Grenfell (1841 - 1925) who was appointed governor and commander-in-chief of Malta in January 1899. This was the first donation that was presented to the newly established Valletta Museum.

Visitors will also be able to visit the Jewish Catacombs which are not normally open to visitors. These catacombs, which are found across the road from St Paul’s Catacombs, are a complex of catacombs which contain at least six Jewish Tombs. These ancient Jewish tombs in Rabat testify to the existence of a Hellenised Jewish Community on the island of Malta in Roman times. All the tombs in the catacombs have the same plan and tomb-types, and it is often difficult to tell which are Jewish and which Christian. Some carry religious symbols and other engraved decorations, such as crosses, palm fronds, or doves with olive branches - or, in some cases, the Jewish seven-branched candlestick (menorah).

Another special event which will help make the last Sunday with Heritage Malta of the season a truly memorable experience will be a number of guided ‘Behind the Scenes’ tours of the National Museum of Natural History. During these tours visitors will be able to see the large collections of birds, eggs, nests and insects which form part of the museum collection but which are not normally seen by visitors. Participants will also visit part of the Mdina bastions which is only accessible through the museum and from there get spectacular views of the bastions and the cathedral.

The Behind the Scene tours will take place on Sunday 27th April at 10:00 hrs, 11:30 hrs 14:00 hrs and 15:30 hrs. Participants in these tours must be over twelve years. Meanwhile special guided tours of the museum will be held for children at 10:00 hrs and 11:30 hrs. These special tours will be held specifically to address a young audience in an entertaining way. In the afternoon kids can participate in a Museum Hunt at the Natural History Museum which will start at 14:00 hrs and 15:30 hrs.

One multi-site ticket will be available on the day which will give holders access to the Domvs Romana, Saint Paul’s Catacombs, the Jewish Catacombs and the National Museum of Natural History. All children under 16 years enter free of charge and participation in the Museum Hunt is also free of charge.

Meanwhile on Saturday 26th April, Heritage Malta will be celebrating the Night of Museums. For this event the façade of the Domvs Romana and the Roman remains will be specially lit up. This event is being organised in conjunction with Studio 7 which will be installing a special lighting system to light up the museum’s façade and the Roman remains in different colours. The site, together with Saint Paul’s Catacombs will be open to the public between 20.00 hrs and 22.30 hrs with guided tours. The Grenfell Egyptian Collection exhibition at the National Museum of Natural History in Mdina will also be open during these times.

Tickets bought on Saturday evening for the tour can be used also on Sunday 27th April for visits to the Domvs Romana, as well as St Paul’s and the Jewish Catacombs in Rabat and the National Museum of Natural History. Tickets for adults, students and senior members cost Euro 7 while Heritage Malta members can obtain tickets for €5.