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| Mdina - The Silent City |
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| Mdina is the 'Silent City', the oldest city of the Island, going back to the Pre-historic times. The word Mdina derives from the Arabic word 'medina' which means 'city'. But the present Mdina is smaller than the city which was inhabited by Phoenicians (800 B.C.), the Carthaginians and the Romans (after 218 B.C.). Already in Phoenician times, the presence of the town was mentioned in written records. During Roman times, the city included a large part of present day Rabat, the suburb of Mdina. It had the name of 'Melite', the same as the Island, and was the seat of the Roman Governor. The ubiquity of the city - on a hill in the centre of the island of Malta made it an excellent site for defense. |
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| Mdina's silence became a sacred characteristic of the city, only to be disturbed by the Italian and German bombs which fell on a nearby airfield during World War II. Today Mdina is a major tourist attraction recognized internationally as an important heritage site. |
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| The streets in Mdina were designed for horse-drawn carriages and the streets are narrow to conserve space. Walking down these quiet narrow streets almost takes you back to the time of the Knights. One can almost here the sound of horses and the clink of armour. The sound of church bells in the distance, a cat meowing as he sits on the ledge of an open window, and a canary singing a cheerful tune in a cage hanging in a shaded courtyard accentuates the silence of the city. You can spend hours wondering around the narrow streets. Not to be missed is a visit to one of the courtyard cafes and restaurants to enjoy a Maltese meal, a cup of hot tea and pastries, or a cold Kinnie with a lemon twist. |