Just when we thought we’ve seen all that Malta has to offer, something absolutely unexpected comes up…

Only yesterday, subterranean heritage appreciation organisation Malta Underground took to social media to share an image of an architectural phenomenon that’s got us scratching our heads.

As it turns out, the cliffs in Cirkewwa are home to a mysterious staircase that was etched by hand right through hard rock.

“This picturesque, historic staircase was cut deeply into the cliff edge by hand, connecting the barren plateau above with the otherwise inaccessible rocky foreshore south of Paradise Bay,” Malta Underground wrote on social media.

Despite the fact that the staircase is open for all willing adventurers to see, its exact purpose is still unknown.

“Did this originally serve the nearby, long-disused military installation above, the tiny cluster of boat sheds by the water, or the small pockets of fields nestling among the large boulders?,” the organisation questioned.

A stone’s throw away from the staircase is a set of abandoned structures which are believed to have been built back in the mid-twentieth century.

The exact purpose of these structures is still highly-disputed, however a former member of the Royal Air Force noted that some official documents refer to the site as a firing range.

“During my RAF service in the 60s I always heard it whispered as a US satellite tracking station, but being highly secret, it could have been anything,” he continued. 

Do you have any information about the staircase? Let us know!