The silent city

Mdina eller den "Tysta staden" är den gamla huvudstaden på Malta. Det är en medeltida stad med många små smala gränder. Fenicierna var de som först befäste staden omkring 1000 f.Kr. När Johanniterorden blev tilldelad Malta av Spanien 1530 ansåg de att staden var oländigt belägen och utan hamn. De bytte då huvudstad till Birgu. (Wikipedia)

The history of Mdina traces back more than 4000 years. According to tradition it was here that in 60 AD that the Apostle St. Paul is said to have lived after being shipwrecked on the Islands. Furthermore it is said that St. Paul resided inside the grotto know as Fuori le Mura (outside the city walls) now known as St. Pauls Grotto in Rabat. Lamp lit by night and referred to as “the silent city”, Mdina is fascinating to visit for its timeless atmosphere as well as its cultural and religious treasures. Mdina has had different names and titles depending on its rulers and its role but its medieval name describe it best – ‘Citta’ Notabile’: the noble city. It was home then, as now, to Malta’s noble families; some are descendants of the Norman, Sicilian and Spanish overlords who made Mdina their home from the 12th century onwards. Impressive palaces line its narrow, shady streets. Mdina is one of Europe’s finest examples of an ancient walled city and extraordinary in its mix of medieval and Baroque architecture.