▁period . ▁ ▁According ▁to ▁the ▁Act s ▁of ▁the ▁Apost les , ▁St . ▁Paul ▁was ▁ship w reck ed ▁in ▁Mal ta ▁in ▁around ▁ 6 0 ▁AD , ▁possibly ▁in ▁the ▁nearby ▁St . ▁Paul ' s ▁Bay . ▁According ▁to ▁local ▁tradition , ▁St . ▁Luke , ▁who ▁was ▁accomp any ing ▁St . ▁Paul , ▁came ▁across ▁one ▁of ▁M ell ie ħ a ' s ▁c aves ▁and ▁painted ▁the ▁figure ▁of ▁Our ▁Lady ▁on ▁the ▁rock ▁face . ▁In ▁ 4 0 9 ▁AD , ▁the ▁cave ▁was ▁consec r ated ▁as ▁a ▁church , ▁and ▁it ▁is ▁now ▁known ▁as ▁the ▁San ctu ary ▁of ▁Our ▁Lady ▁of ▁M ell ie ħ a . ▁ ▁M ell ie ħ a ▁was ▁one ▁of ▁the ▁first ▁ten ▁par ishes ▁of ▁Mal ta . ▁It ▁still ▁existed ▁in ▁ 1 4 3 6 , ▁but ▁it ▁was ▁abandoned ▁soon ▁afterwards ▁in ▁the ▁late ▁ 1 5 th ▁or ▁early ▁ 1 6 th ▁century , ▁since ▁the ▁north ▁of ▁Mal ta ▁was ▁no ▁longer ▁safe ▁due ▁to ▁ra ids ▁by ▁Muslim ▁cors airs . ▁ ▁Under ▁the ▁Order ▁of ▁Saint ▁John ▁ ▁Mal ta ▁was ▁one ▁of ▁the ▁first ▁regions ▁that ▁Muslim s ▁entered ▁in ▁the ▁Mediter rane an , ▁and ▁this ▁is ▁evident ▁in ▁the ▁Islam ic ▁her itage ▁of ▁buildings ▁and ▁ancient ▁re lic s ▁of ▁mos ques ▁and ▁homes . ▁In ▁addition ▁to ▁that ▁the ▁Arab ic ▁language ▁that ▁has ▁remained ▁root ed ▁in