Beautiful Mdina – The Silent City of Malta, and Rabat

Mdina is a gated fortress on top of the hill, a beautiful place to visit on your Malta itinerary. However, it’s more than that, a city with thousands of years of history and many stories to tell. Let’s dig in!

Mdina – The Silent City

4000 years ago, its Phoenician name was Maleth. Later, it bore many names: Melita in the Roman era, then the Arabic word for ‘city’ – Medina, Mdina, or L-Imdina in Maltese. Mdina was the old capital of Malta. In the 16th century, the Order of St.John moved the capital to Birgu and later to Valletta.

When the capital moved to the shore the city lost most of its inhabitants. What was once a large city on the island, was divided into the walled city of Mdina and the village of Rabat surrounding it. The streets became empty, and, with about 300 inhabitants today, Mdina became The Silent City. Its other names are Città Vecchia or Città Notabile (Noble City).

Best things to do in Mdina

Mdina only covers the area within the old city walls. It’s a small area you can probably cover in one hour. However, the tiny city will impress you with its timeless feeling. And though you can visit a few museums in the walled city, the real museum is Mdina itself. Walking through its streets will allow you to discover and admire thousands of beautiful details, a world in itself.

Admire the architecture of Mdina, Malta

Start your walk admiring the beautiful Baroque-style Vilhena gate. The old wooden bridge to the main gate was replaced with a stone bridge over the ditch around the fortified city.

Then, moving on through the narrow streets, you’ll have plenty of things to see in this beautiful city. Notice the impressive Aragonese buildings, traditional Maltese doors, and colorful balconies hanging over that golden limestone everywhere. Here and there, a dolphin doorbell or some flowers adorn the narrow alleys.

Take in the view from the city walls

Looking over the city walls where possible, you’ll have spectacular views over the larger town of Rabat and beyond, towards the Mediterranean Sea. It reminded me of the panoramic views from an Italian hill-top town, Ostuni, over the surrounding countryside.

St. Paul’s Cathedral in Mdina, Malta

Even if you’re not religious, you should still visit St. Paul’s Cathedral in Mdina. The cathedral was built in the 12th century on the spot where legend says Saint Paul met…