Works are under way at what is considered to be one of the largest film sets currently under construction in Europe and possibly even worldwide, located in Fort Ricasoli.
The metamorphic fortifications are once again being transformed to take on a new role and King Priam's palace rises majestically in their heart, while the imposing gates of Troy stand around 15 metres tall, overlooking Grand Harbour.
The building of the set for the epic $180 million-budget movie Troy, which is expected to be Warner Bros' major release next year, started in January, said co-producer Winston Azzopardi. Cameras should be turning their lenses onto it in around two weeks' time when the city of Troy comes alive with thousands of crowd extras.
Filming, which started on Tuesday, is currently going on elsewhere.
During Prime Minister Eddie Fenech Adami's tour of the set yesterday, praise was heaped on local workmanship - about 485 Maltese are currently employed on the production, mostly working on the impressive and "enormous" set.
Roy Button, Warner Bros UK managing director, was full of praise for the "terrific" island and its inhabitants: "They are great and we are working well together. Malta lends itself to the subject... We are just having a good time," he said, confident that the major production - a complex logistical operation - would work out "extremely well".
The local workforce has not only been involved in the set construction, but also in wardrobe and props.
Speaking against the backdrop of the magnificent palace and the din of tools in action, Dr Fenech Adami expressed his pleasure at the fact that the local workforce was found to be amenable and productive, as well as his gratitude towards Warner Bros for choosing Malta as a location for the filming of the movie.
Dr Fenech Adami said Malta's appearance on the silver screen did help to build its image and stressed his belief in the growth of the industry. Malta had been working to "move on" in the industry of film production and Dr Fenech Adami was pleased to note that it was happening.
"Malta has found its place as a location for shooting films," he said, highlighting that 2002 was a record year for the industry in that every day a film was either in preparation, or shooting.
The co-production treaty signed in 2001 was a "good step forward" and Troy was the first fruit of the agreement - the first UK-Malta co-production between Warner Bros Productions Ltd and Latina Pictures Ltd, following the signing of the European Convention on Cinematographic Co-Production.
The story of Troy and the 10-year Trojan War is no novelty, and has been tackled before, albeit not on such a grand scale. But Mr Button feels the script is "unique" and has "a massive spectacle to it; it has a wonderful story to it; and will have a wonderful size to it".
Troy is the fruit of the vision of director/producer Wolfgang Petersen (The Perfect Storm) and writer David Benioff (The 25th Hour), "who was told these stories as a young boy", said producer Diana Rathbun (The Perfect Storm).
"Certain things in the movie are going to be different from the traditional re-telling that we may know, but also very recognisable as the Iliad," she said.
The stellar cast, which includes the likes of Brad Pitt as Achilles and Academy Award-winners Julie Christie and Peter O'Toole, was another bonus. "Each actor was picked particularly for what they bring and how incredibly talented they are," Ms Rathbun said.
"It is a movie for our times, just as it was then a story for the times."
For the rest, "it is for you to discover", said the creative forces behind the project Ms Rathbun and Colin Wilson (Lara Croft: Tomb Raider).
Principal shooting continues in Mexico after Malta and is expected to wrap up at the end of August. Troy is scheduled for worldwide release by Warner Bros Productions and Village Roadshow Pictures in May 2004.