▁the ▁language ▁of ▁the ▁current ▁people ▁of ▁the ▁island , ▁this ▁was ▁starting ▁from ▁year ▁ 8 2 6 ▁A . D . ▁and ▁last ▁for ▁ 2 2 0 ▁years . ▁ ▁During ▁the ▁early ▁years ▁of ▁H osp it aller ▁rule ▁in ▁Mal ta , ▁M ell ie ħ a ▁remained ▁abandoned . ▁In ▁the ▁late ▁ 1 6 th ▁century , ▁the ▁San ctu ary ▁of ▁Our ▁Lady ▁of ▁M ell ie ħ a ▁was ▁re built . ▁ ▁The ▁northern ▁coast ▁of ▁Mal ta ▁began ▁to ▁be ▁fort ified ▁in ▁the ▁early ▁ 1 7 th ▁century . ▁The ▁first ▁fort ification ▁to ▁be ▁built ▁in ▁M ell ie ħ a ▁was ▁Saint ▁Ag ath a ' s ▁Tower , ▁which ▁was ▁completed ▁in ▁ 1 6 4 9 . ▁This ▁large ▁tower ▁was ▁built ▁on ▁Mar fa ▁R idge , ▁over looking ▁M ell ie ħ a ▁Bay , ▁with ▁clear ▁views ▁over ▁to ▁Com ino ▁and ▁G oz o . ▁The ▁smaller ▁G ħ ajn ▁ Ħ ad id ▁Tower ▁and ▁Arm ier ▁Tower ▁were ▁also ▁built ▁in ▁the ▁limits ▁of ▁M ell ie ħ a ▁in ▁ 1 6 5 8 . ▁ ▁A ▁series ▁of ▁coast al ▁batter ies , ▁red ou b ts ▁and ▁ent rench ments ▁were ▁also ▁built ▁in ▁M ell ie ħ a ▁in ▁the ▁ 1 8 th ▁century . ▁Several ▁of ▁these ▁still ▁surv ive , ▁such ▁as ▁M istra ▁B atter y , ▁V end ôme ▁B atter