A historical background of metamaterials is presented. The story starts at the end of the 90s as a bifurcation in the field of photonic crystals. The basics of the field and a survey of the main realizations of metamaterials are presented. Among these are: the negative refraction effect, the super lens, the invisibility cloak, metasurfaces, and their use for controlling polarization and beam paths, as well as an opening toward new trends.