Lascaris War Rooms

Explore the interesting war rooms that were under high security

Lascaris War Rooms are located 400 feet under the Upper Barrakka Gardens, representing one of Malta’s best kept secrets from the Second World War. The War Rooms are composed o f a network of tunnels and chambers underground that housed British’s War headquarters in Malta from where all the defence and offensive operations in the Mediterranean were directed. 

This ultra-secret complex housed an operations room for each of the fighting services which included the vital RAF Fighter Control Room from where all air and sea operations were observed and controlled. Supporting it was a Filter Room through which channelled and filtered all radar traffic as well as an Anti-aircraft Gun Operations Room which was used to coordinate artillery fire against air attack. A combined operation room served for joint operations and a highly secured  facility held encryption machines used for secret communications.

In July 1943, the War Rooms were used by General Eisenhower  and his Supreme Commanders as their advance Allied HQ for Operation Husky - the invasion of Sicily. 

After the war, Lascaris War Rooms became the Mediterranean Fleet HQ, playing an important role in the Anglo-French invasion of Egypt during the Suez crisis in 1956, going into full alert for a number of days during the Cuban Missile Crises of 1962. In 1967 it was taken by NATO to be used as a strategic Communication Centre for the interception of Soviet submarines in the Mediterranean. After 10 years in this role the rooms were finally closed down. 

In 2009, Fondazzjoni Wirt Artna – the Malta Heritage Trust has embarked on the restoration of this historic complex, and after painstaking work to restore the premises, Lascaris War Rooms are now open to the public.