Mdina

Mdina

Mdina is a fortified hilltop city in central Malta, the island’s medieval capital and one of Europe’s finest examples of a walled city, still inhabited by fewer than 300 residents and known as the Silent City.

History

Settled since the Bronze Age, Mdina served as Malta’s capital for millennia under Arab, Norman, and Aragonese rulers. The Arabs fortified the hilltop in the 9th century, giving the city its Arabic name. After the arrival of the Knights of St John in 1530, the capital shifted to Valletta, and Mdina retreated into aristocratic quietude. Its medieval lanes and Baroque palaces remain largely unchanged. The city gained international pop-culture fame as a filming location for Game of Thrones.

What to See

The Cathedral of Saint Paul, built on the site where St Paul supposedly met the Roman governor Publius in 60 AD, dominates the skyline with its Baroque towers. The Palazzo Falson historic house museum exhibits centuries of Maltese noble life. The city’s Mdina Gate, a masterpiece of Baroque civic architecture, marks the single vehicle entrance. The bastion walls offer panoramic views of the Maltese countryside to the sea.

Getting There

Mdina is in central Malta, about 13 km west of Valletta. Bus routes from Valletta Bus Terminus and from Malta International Airport connect to the nearby town of Rabat, a short walk from Mdina’s main gate.

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