Its north-western shore is formed by the Sciberras peninsula, which is largely covered by the city of Valletta and its suburb Floriana.

[6] Punic and Roman remains were also found on the shores of the harbour,[5] with the main Carthaginian port at Cospicua possibly having been the original namesake of the island in Greek and Latin.

They settled in the city of Birgu and improved its fortifications, including rebuilding the Castrum Maris as Fort Saint Angelo.

The area was the scene of much of the fighting in the Great Siege of Malta of 1565 when the Ottomans attempted to eject the Order of St John but were ultimately defeated.

After the siege, the capital city of Valletta was built on the Sciberras peninsula on the north west shore of the harbour.

Over the years, more fortifications and settlements were founded within the Grand Harbour, including Fort Ricasoli and the towns of Floriana and Cospicua.

During the French occupation of Malta, the harbour area was blockaded by Maltese rebels on land and the Royal Navy at sea.

The whole area was savagely bombed during the Second Siege of Malta during World War II, as the docks and military installations around the port became targets for Axis bombers.

A considerable part of Malta's commercial shipping is now handled by the new free port at Kalafrana, so the harbour is much quieter than it was in the first half of the 20th century.