Mdina and Rabat
Mdina is Malta's walled hilltop former capital, quiet and lamplit at night. Rabat, just outside its walls, adds St Paul's Catacombs, the Domus Romana and village life.
Mdina and Rabat
Mdina is Malta's walled hilltop former capital, quiet and lamplit at night. Rabat, just outside its walls, adds St Paul's Catacombs, the Domus Romana and village life.
Mdina crowns a ridge in the centre of Malta, and its bastions look out over most of the island. Through the Middle Ages and until the Order of St John arrived in 1530, it was the island's capital. The Knights moved their base to the harbour and then to Valletta, and Mdina became the quiet home of the old noble families. Visit Malta calls it the silent city and one of Europe's finest examples of an ancient walled city. Few cars are allowed inside, and at night its lanes are lit by lamps.
Inside the walls, St Paul's Cathedral dominates the main square, and Bastion Square gives a wide view across the island toward the coast. Rabat (Ir-Rabat) begins right outside the gate and is a living town with shops, bakeries and churches. Here you find the Domus Romana, a Roman townhouse with fine mosaic floors found by chance in 1881, the underground passages of St Paul's Catacombs, and St Paul's Grotto beneath the parish church, linked by tradition to the apostle's stay in Malta.
What to do
- Walk Mdina's lanes early in the morning or after the tour groups leave.
- Go underground at St Paul's Catacombs, part of a cemetery whose history goes back to at least the 3rd or 4th century BC.
- See the mosaics of the Domus Romana on the edge of Rabat.
- Drive or cycle on to Dingli Cliffs and the woodland of Buskett Gardens.
Buskett hosts Mnarja on 29 June, one of Malta's oldest traditional feasts, with folk singing and rabbit stew. Mdina's walls also appear on several film location tours.
The pair sit roughly in the middle of the island, reached by road from the airport, with buses from Valletta and the resort towns. Most visitors come for a day, but a night in a Mdina or Rabat guesthouse lets you see the old city after dark, when it is at its quietest. The Mosta Rotunda is a short drive northeast.
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Mdina and Rabat questions
Why is Mdina called the Silent City?
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Visit Malta calls Mdina the silent city. Few cars are allowed inside its walls. Its narrow lanes are lamplit at night. During the day tour groups arrive, so early mornings and evenings are the quietest times.
Was Mdina the capital of Malta?
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Yes. Mdina was the island's capital through the Middle Ages and until the Order of St John arrived in 1530. The Knights based themselves by the Grand Harbour, first in Birgu and later in Valletta, and Mdina became home to the old noble families.
What is there to see in Rabat?
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Rabat, just outside Mdina's walls, has St Paul's Catacombs, a Roman underground burial complex used until the 7th and possibly the 8th century AD. The surrounding cemetery's history goes back to at least the 3rd or 4th century BC. It also has the Domus Romana with its mosaics, and St Paul's Grotto beneath the parish church.
How long do you need for Mdina and Rabat?
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Half a day covers a walk around Mdina and its cathedral. A full day lets you add St Paul's Catacombs, the Domus Romana and a drive to Dingli Cliffs or Buskett Gardens. Staying one night lets you see Mdina after dark.
How do you get to Mdina?
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Mdina is in the centre of Malta and reached by road from the airport. Direct buses run from Valletta and from the main resort areas, and the stop is just outside the city gate. Parking for cars is outside the walls.
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