MOTHYA: AN ANCIENT PHOENICIAN CITY.

Mothya is a small island on the east coast of Sicily. It was founded by  the Phoenicians in the eighth  century B.C. It was an important economical centre. During the sixth and fifth century  the city had a period of great prosperity.  It was a docking point for Phoenician ships in the Mediterranean  Sea. In 397 B.C. it was destroyed by Dionisio the Old of Syracuse. Mothya is unique because it has archaeological  remains of the Phoenician- Punic civilization. On the island you can find different species of ornithological interest such as herons and  pink flamingos. The lagoon is a protected natural reserve and it is an ideal area for gilthead,eel, mullet and white bream.  Mothya has a unique vegetation such as Salicornia, Limonium,Atriplex. The bottom of the lagoon is covered with a lot of plants of great ecological and naturalistic interest.The plants are essential for marine life and they must be protected because the production of oxygen is essential to the survival of marine plants. The island of Mothya was bought by an English archaeologist, Joseph Whitaker in the twentieth century. His archaelogical digs brought to light a Phoenician-Punic Sanctuary, the ancient Necropolis, the House of the Mosaics and the fortifications. He ordered to build a museum,too.