It is hard to walk through Malta's streets without becoming fully overwhelmed by the island's vibrant doors. Malta's doors and balconies give the limestone-coloured homes a striking accent.
In fact, it is a possible to take one photo after another and still be amazed by Malta’s heritage, not only through its vibrant colourful doors but also through its doorknobs.
This cute TikTok video by Malta Mystery did just that.
These beautiful vintage doorknobs are unique and full of interesting features. For example, the door knocker was an essential feature that stated social rank, showing off wealth and status. An iron ring door knocker implied a simple family while clean and polished doorknobs indicated the house’s cleanliness.
Most traditional Maltese door handles are made from metal, ceramic, or brass and many of these doorknobs seen on vintage local doors are more than 60 to 70 years old. Coming in all shapes and sizes, many doorknobs took the form of maritime animals such as dolphins or fish while others represented more majestic animals like lions, elephants and wolves. Religious symbols were also common, and many handles depicted angels in some shape or form.
While many houses and apartments have switched to modern bells, these doorknobs are a sight to see, and they attest to Malta’s immense history from the fusion of cultures.
Thank you, Malta Doors for the sweet reminder!
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