Mdina and Rabat Malta History – Silent City, Romans & Knights

Q: How long does a Mdina tour take?

Mdina tours vary in length. Short tours take around 1.5 to 2 hours, while longer combination tours and full-day tours take more time.

Q: Is it better to book Mdina tours online in advance?

Yes, booking online in advance is recommended to secure your preferred date and avoid disappointment during busy periods.

History of Mdina and Rabat Malta

Mdina is situated in the north-western part of Malta, at 175 m above sea level and relatively far from the sea lies a high plateau. Because this plateau could be well defended, it was already inhabited in prehistoric times ( 4000 BC ) and in the Bronze Age it was a safe haven.

Till the arrival of the Order of St. John in 1530 Mdina was the capital of Malta. Because of conflicts with the nobility the Order decided to make Birgu the capital city.

Mdina has many sights like; museums, churches, film locations, etc. These locations will be mentioned in our app.

Below are the timelines of Mdina and Rabat.

Below is the timeline of Mdina and Rabat, providing extensive information from the distant past to the present. It is certainly interesting to visit these two places and be accompanied by a guide. I have made a selection of several guided tours. Click on this link to discover a selection of quality tours.

Additional information

The timelines of Mdina and Rabat.

Origins of Mdina (Phoenicians & Romans)

The Phoenicians, leaving the shores of what is now Lebanon, reached Malta around the year 700BC. They had friendly relationships with the Bronze Age settlers, and probably shared some cultural elements.

The Phoenicians increased and improved the protective walls surrounding the hill and called the settlement Malat or Maleth(safe-haven or place of refuge). During the Second Punic War in 217 BC the Romans took over politically and military, but the Phoenician cultural influence lasted another few centuries.

The history of Rabat and its Roman roots

The Romans fortified the plateau and called the city ‘Melite’ (thyme-honey in Greek and in Latin ‘Melita’). Besides, the present island Malta was called Melite. The walls and the city were expanded with houses, temples, public baths, etc. Melite had a grid layout of streets.

The Acts of the Apostles 27 and 28 of The New Testament mentioned the island of Melite as the site of the shipwreck of the Apostle Paul in the year 60 AD.

Paul was welcomed into the house of the prominent Roman Publius and stayed there three days. Publius’ father was seriously ill and had dysentery. He was cured by the laying on of hands of the holy Paul.

Publius was accepted as one of the first Christians and later he became the first Bishop of Malta. After that Malta became the first country of early Christianity in Europe.

The Byzantine general Belisarius was on his way to North-Africa in 533 and landed in Malta and Malta was integrated into the Byzantine province of Sicily. Due to the Islamic threat Melite was reduced to one third helping Melite to defend better.

Arab influence on Mdina

In 870 Malta was occupied by Muslims from North-Africa. Melite also fell prey to the Arabs and the inhabitants were slaughtered, churches were plundered and the city destroyed. Marble from the churches was transported to Tunisia to build a castle in Sousse. These Tunisian Arabs named the city Mahdina, in Maltese Mdina, and called the island Malta, which also means ‘safe haven’.

In historical descriptions it appears that after that Malta was practically uninhabited.

Around 1048 or 1049 the island was populated by Muslims from Sicily who rebuilt the ruins that were left of the city Mdina.

Mdina became the location of the local government and the religious centre of the government district. Because Melite was decreased by two-thirds, the present Rabat was seen as an outskirt and got the name Suburb, which translated means Rabat, Arab Rabat.

Arab Rabat was the area for artisans and traders. The layout of Mdina changed with winding streets as a defence tactic. In case a musket was fired the bullet would never go far in a winding street.

The Arabs changed the landscape considerably, created terraces by using low dry stone walls for better cultivation of fields for farmers and introduced irrigation. They also left their imprints in the Maltese language, family names and place names. But also the 30.000 km of low raw stone walls on Malta and Gozo are an inheritance.

The Normans

In 1091 troops of the Norman County of Sicily, under leadership of Count Roger I, invaded Medina. After negotiations, which included the conditions that the Muslims would release the Christian prisoners who were used as slaves and the Muslims would take the oath to be faithful to Roger and honour him yearly. Count Roger gave his red and white colours to the island as their national colour.

In 1122 an Arab uprising took place and Roger II, son of count Roger I , had to re-conquer the island. Christianity made a prominent comeback at that moment and is still the basic dominant religion.

Malta was part of the Kingdom of Sicily, which would continue for about 440 years. Malta was a Feudal Lordship of Sicily and in fact a feudal estate within the Kingdom. The first count of Malta was Margerito de Brindisi, an admiral of Greek origin, The feudal lordship was used as an expedient as a negotiating object in politics and as a result another 38 Counts followed which caused much unrest.

In 1425, Alfons V, King of Aragon, was busy with campaigns in the Mediterranean (Sea) and urgently needed money and support. He pledged Malta to Gonsalvo Monroy for 30.000 florins. The contract however was signed by the Viceroy of Sicily Antonio de Cardona on behalf of Monroy.

The Maltese population revolted and thought that the Viceroy was trying to steal from Malta, so they swore allegiance to the King. The Maltese took Monroy’s wife as a hostage and kept her in Castellamare (the predecessor of Fort St. Angelo).

Monroy demanded before the court that measures be taken against the rebels, the Maltese demanded refund of the 30.000 florins and a reversal of the agreement.

Monroy agreed to the terms but demanded as a requirement that his wife will be released. This impasse was eventually resolved because his two sons were taken hostage in exchange for Monroy’s wife.

In the next months only 10.000 florins were collected by the Maltese. Monroy was then on his deathbed and donated a third of the repayment to the Maltese and the last third he donated to the King for reinforcement of the fortifications of Malta.

The King was impressed by (of) the loyalty of his Maltese nationals and called Malta his most striking pearl of his crown and Mdina acquired the name Città Notabile.

In 1427 King Alfonso writes to the crown of Aragon ( Royal Kingdom of Sicily) that Malta will never be lent to third parties as a loan.

During the past centuries Malta was constantly under siege, robbed and the people were made slaves by the North-African pirates and the Ottomans (Turks).

In 1429 Malta had between 16.000 and 18.000 inhabitants, and Hafsid Saracenen (Sunni Muslim Dynasty) tried to conquer the island and came with an army of 18.000 soldiers. The Hafsid Saracenen soldiers advanced directly to Mdina. After three days of fierce fighting they looted Mdina. The Augustinian Monastery in Rabat was destroyed and the inhabitants killed.

In the end Hafsid Saracenen was stopped during his journey to loot more places and to kill the inhabitants and was driven back, however he took his 3.000Maltese inhabitants with him and made them slaves. Probably Malta is relatively the biggest victim in the Mediterranean.

The Spanish

Malta was continuous under siege from pirates of North Africa and the Ottomans. Malta has a coastline of 150 km and that was rather indefensible by a population of 20,000 people. It is easier to defend Malta from the sea and for this reason, in the fifteenth century, Malta would send out corsair ships to engage in pre-emptive strikes.

Of course there was a good deal of piracy as well and a large part of the population made their livelihood at sea in one way or the other, while many lived in protection behind the city walls of Mdina.

In 1429 there was a large attack on Malta by the Saracens, ransacking the islands and taking away 3,000 people in slavery. A multitude of other smaller attacks occurred over the centuries Malta was probably, in proportion to its size, one of the biggest victims of slavery in the Mediterranean.

Medieval Mdina under the Knights

The Order of St. John originated in Jerusalem around 1054 and was overcome by the Ottomans. In 1310 The Knights arrived on the island of Rhodes and in 1522 were again expelled, this time from Cyprus and because they were again homeless Charles V of Spain (then owner of Malta) donated the island in 1530 to the Order of St. John as a permanent loan.

The Order thought of setting up their first government in Mdina. However this was in conflict with the Maltese nobility in Mdina. The Grandmaster of the Order was advised to look for a location closer to the harbour, where the galleys were also stationed. Birgu was chosen and it became the capital of the country. Mdina lost the function as capital.

Mdina was left to the old nobility. In 1693 there was an earthquake and a large part of the city was destroyed. Grandmaster Manuel de Vilhena rebuilt the city in baroque style and reinforced the ramparts as well as the dry moat.

The French Period

In 1798 the French under the command of Napoleon Bonaparte were on their way to Egypt with an army of 30.000 soldiers and visited Malta on their way. On 9th June Malta capitulated and the capitulation was signed by Napoleon on behalf of the French Republic, and six other persons signed on behalf of the population of Malta and the King of Spain.

In 1798 the population was estimated to be 14.000 inhabitants.

The Knights of St. John had to leave the island.

A French garrison of 3,050 soldiers stayed in Malta.

From the St. Bartholomew’s Chapel Notary Emmanuele Vitale organized the uprising against the French and Notary Bezzina threw the French commander from his balcony.

On 2nd September the Maltese uprising started. The rebels moved into the city and slaughtered all the soldiers. This event was the beginning of a successful two-year uprising against the French. In Mdina a national meeting took place in Banca Giuratale about the uprising.

The Kingdom of the two Sicilies asked Great- Britain to help them, which then protected Malta and defeated Napoleon.

The British Period

After Malta had sent messengers to the British fleet, which was in the harbour in Sicily, the request for assistance was granted. In September British admiral Nelson sent a fleet to Malta, which arrived at the end of September 1798 and formed a blockage against the French. Sir Alexander Ball arrived in October 1798 in Malta and took over command. On 5th September 1800 the French capitulated. Malta became a British protectorate.

In June 1802 a declaration was voluntarily signed by representatives of all cities and villages of Malta and Gozo in which they proclaimed King George III their King and that the King did not have the right to give Malta to another nation as well as that Malta had to have self-government while under protection of the British.

In the period 1813-1814 Malta was hit by the plague and there was a significant death rate.

At the decision of the “Treaty of Paris” in 1814, full sovereignty over the Maltese islands was obtained. From that moment Malta became an important part of the British Kingdom.

In the beginning the British did not give much attention to Malta. Eventually the strategic location of the island was understood.

In 1827 the Grand Harbour became the base for the British Mediterranean Navy.

Malta was overcrowded and suffering poverty. Malta was depending on British military expenses. From about 1850 the British investments increased.

The Crimean War (The British Period)

The strength of the Ottoman Empire failed considerably, which created opportunity for Russia, England and France to claim previous Ottoman’s territories. Many of these territories were situated around the Mediterranean.

Much tension occured which caused a war. The fighting parties in this were Russia, who fought against the alliance of more countries like; the British Empire, France, the Ottoman Empire and Kingdom Sardinia ( to which Dutchy Savoy belonged ).

The war was fought between October 1853 and March 1856.

In the war Great Britain chose the side of the Ottoman Empire because of the economical- territorial motives.

The victory was determined by who had the most advanced technology and the best war industry.

30th March 1856 – Convention of Paris was signed.

The integrity of Ottoman Turkey is laid down in a treaty, Russia must give up Bessarabia, the Black Sea becomes neutral area and the Danube must be opened to international shipping (traffic).

The first technical war had a considerable impact on the maritime activities in Malta.

When the Suez Canal opened in 1869 shipping traffic increased, the route to the east.

Towards 1905 the Naval Dockyard and the British defence services were the base of the Maltese economy.

First World War (The British Period)

During the First World War (28th July 1914 to 11th November 1918) more than 136.000 men were taken care of in the ‘hospital’ island of Malta. The first patients from the battlefield arrived in March 1915 after several weeks journey on a hospital ship.

After many hospital ships were sunk by German submarines, it was decided that the trip to Malta was too dangerous and the facilities were taken over by Greece.

In January 1916 Malta had 27 hospitals, 25.000 hospital beds, 334 medically trained (persons), 913 nurses and 2032 medical workers. From the Salonika Campaign 78.130 sick and wounded were transported to Malta and from the Callipoli Campaign 5.991 sick and wounded.

Second World War (The British Period)

During the Second World War Malta was heavily bombed, given the maritime functions and activities, as well as her strategic location. Particularly around the Grand Harbour which was heavily bombed by the Italians and Germans. The first air raid took place on 11th June 1940. Despite Malta’s relatively good anti-aircraft guns, much damage was done.

King George VI awarded the highest civilian award (honor) for bravery to the entire Maltese population. This award “ The George Cross” is included in the Maltese flag.

The British legacy

Besides its independence Britain’s legacy is diverse, like the English language (official language in addition to the Maltese – Malti), legal system and education are related to the British. In Malta the driving is on the left side and there are other details like the red telephone booths, mailboxes, the English pubs.

In many private Maltese garages there are still many Triumphs, Morris minors, Ford Anglia’s and Prefects and Bedford buses which will be used during special occasions to show them off. Local bars , restaurants, cafés serve English breakfast, British dishes, English beer in half a pint or a pint.

Further more during the British period also specific architecture has been left behind as well as many buildings which are related to the defence of Malta and Gozo.

The present time

From the Bronze Age and the Roman structure there is little left because these are about 3 metres under the current surface. But at certain points there are Roman stones visible. The winding streets from the Arab period are still present. The Siculo-Norman architecture is well seen. The Roman inquisition, slavery and all the noble titles were abolished.

Mdina has her own council and has about 250 inhabitants. Mdina also has the nickname ‘Silent City’, in particular because almost no motorized traffic is allowed and when all the tourists are gone it is very quiet. During recent times however some catering establishments came and it is busier in the evenings.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) – Mdina Tours Malta Tickets & Visitor Info

Click a question to expand the answer.

What is included in a Mdina tour ticket?

Your Mdina tour ticket usually includes a guided visit through the historic streets of Mdina and, depending on the tour selected, may also include Rabat, catacombs, transport, or additional highlights. Many tours also focus on the city’s long history as Malta’s former capital and its important churches, palaces and viewpoints. You can book your tickets here: Mdina tour tickets.

Where can I buy Mdina tour tickets?

You can reserve your Mdina tour online in advance to secure availability and avoid disappointment. Book directly here: Buy Mdina tour tickets.

Where is Mdina located in Malta?

Mdina is located in the north-western part of Malta on a high plateau around 175 metres above sea level. It is one of the island’s most famous historic cities, known as the Silent City, and it lies directly next to Rabat.

How do I get to Mdina?

You can reach Mdina by car, taxi, hop-on hop-off bus, private transfer, or public transport. Bus stops at Rabat are within walking distance of Mdina’s main entrance gate, making it easy to combine both towns in one visit.

Is there parking at Mdina?

Yes, there are parking areas near the city gate and in the surrounding area. However, it is usually busy, so you may need some extra time to find a parking space, especially during weekends and peak visitor hours.

How long does a Mdina tour take?

Mdina tours vary in length depending on the type of experience. Short tours take around 1.5 to 2 hours, while more complete walking tours, combination tours and full-day excursions can take much longer. Many visitors also stay extra time for viewpoints, churches, museums and nearby Rabat.

Are Mdina tours suitable for families?

Yes, Mdina tours are suitable for families, couples and individual travellers. There are walking tours, tuk tuk tours and combination tours, so there are options for different ages and interests. Families often enjoy the traffic-free atmosphere inside the old city and the open views over the Maltese countryside.

Are guided tours in Mdina worth it?

Yes, a guided tour is one of the best ways to experience Mdina. A guide helps you discover hidden streets, historical details, legends and important landmarks that many visitors would otherwise miss, including the city’s past as Malta’s capital until 1530.

Is it better to book Mdina tours online in advance?

Yes, booking online in advance is recommended. This gives you the best choice of tours, helps secure your preferred date and time, and avoids disappointment during busy periods. Reserve here: Mdina tour tickets.

Are Mdina tour tickets valid all day?

Tour tickets are generally valid for the specific date, time and tour selected when booking. Some tours are short walking experiences, while others are half-day or full-day tours.

Is Mdina wheelchair accessible?

Mdina can be visited by wheelchair users, and many of the main sights are accessible. However, visitors should keep in mind that some streets are uneven, with stone paving, historic surfaces and gentle slopes.

Are food and drinks available in Mdina?

Yes, Mdina and nearby Rabat offer a wide range of cafés, restaurants and snack stops. Visitors can enjoy anything from coffee and cakes to lunch or dinner before or after their tour.

What is there to do in Mdina besides a guided tour?

Besides guided tours, visitors can enjoy panoramic viewpoints, historic churches, cultural attractions, the Mdina Experience, horse-drawn carriage rides and beautiful photo spots throughout the city. Many visitors also come simply to enjoy the peaceful streets and historic atmosphere.

Is Mdina close to Rabat?

Yes, Rabat is located directly next to Mdina, making it very easy to combine both places in one visit or guided tour. Historically, Rabat developed as the suburb outside Mdina’s fortified walls.

Can I walk to Mdina from Rabat?

Yes, Mdina and Rabat are directly connected, so walking between the two is easy and very popular with visitors. The short walk makes it simple to explore both the old walled city and the surrounding historic area on the same day.

Which bus stops are closest to Mdina?

The closest bus stops are Rabat 1 and Rabat 2, both within walking distance of Mdina’s main entrance gate.

How far is Mdina from Valletta?

Mdina is located inland in central to north-western Malta and is a popular half-day or day trip from Valletta. It can be reached by car, taxi or public transport.

How far is Mdina from Sliema or St Julian’s?

Mdina is an easy excursion from Sliema or St Julian’s by car, taxi or bus, making it a popular inland sightseeing destination away from the coastal resort areas.

Is parking free at Mdina?

Parking areas are available near the entrance to Mdina. Availability can be limited because the area is often busy, especially during peak times.

Is Mdina worth visiting?

Yes, Mdina is one of Malta’s most beautiful and historic destinations, famous for its medieval streets, elegant architecture, peaceful atmosphere and panoramic views. It was Malta’s capital until 1530 and remains one of the island’s most important heritage sites.

Can I combine Mdina with other attractions in Malta?

Yes, many tours combine Mdina with Rabat, Dingli Cliffs, San Anton Gardens, Mosta, Valletta or the Three Cities.

Is Mdina a good option for a cooler or quieter day out?

Absolutely. Mdina is a great choice for visitors looking for history, atmosphere and a more relaxed pace away from the busiest coastal resort areas. Its elevated position and calm streets also make it feel different from Malta’s busier seaside towns.

Can I buy Mdina tour tickets on the day?

Yes, some tours may still be available on the day, but booking online in advance is strongly recommended: Reserve tickets here.

Are there restaurants near Mdina?

Yes, Mdina and Rabat both offer a good selection of cafés and restaurants, including places for breakfast, lunch, dinner and traditional Maltese pastries.

Can I take photos in Mdina?

Yes, Mdina is one of the best places in Malta for photography. Public streets, gateways, alleys and viewpoints offer excellent photo opportunities, although some indoor sites may have restrictions.

Is Mdina suitable for a half-day trip?

Yes, Mdina is perfect for a half-day trip, although many visitors choose longer combination tours that also include Rabat and other highlights nearby.

Why should I book Mdina tour tickets through this page?

Booking through this page helps you compare tour options, secure your preferred experience in advance and find the Mdina tour that best matches your interests: Book tickets now.

Why is Mdina called the Silent City?

Mdina is often called the Silent City because of its calm atmosphere, limited traffic and peaceful historic streets. The quiet character of the old walled city is one of the main reasons visitors enjoy spending time there.

Was Mdina once the capital of Malta?

Yes, Mdina was the capital of Malta until the arrival of the Order of St John in 1530. After that, the centre of power moved closer to the harbour area, but Mdina remained an important noble and religious city.

Why are the streets in Mdina so narrow and winding?

Mdina’s narrow, winding streets are part of its historic urban layout and are often linked to defensive planning from the Arab period. This street pattern adds to the city’s unique character and makes it especially enjoyable for walking tours.

Was Mdina damaged by an earthquake?

Yes, a major earthquake in 1693 damaged a large part of Mdina. Much of the city was later rebuilt in a baroque style, which is one reason Mdina has such a distinctive architectural appearance today.