"Historic City of Mdina" a Mdina Travel Page by edinka

Near the center of the island of Malta, Mdina affords excellent panoramas of the island. This former capital, often called the Silent City because of its very quiet environment, lies in a beautiful region. Citizens are perhaps proudest of the Mdina Cathedral, built on the site where St. Paul converted the Maltese to Christianity Casual strollers will be rewarded with sights of numerous churches, palaces and fortifications.

It is thought to have been first populated by the Phoenicians around 1000 BC. When Malta came under the Romans, the Governor chose to build his Palace there and it housed the government. The city earned its present day name from the Saracens who came to Malta around 870 AD. They surrounded the city with thicker walls, separating it from its nearest town, Rabat.
When the new city Valletta was built by the knights, power was transferred to Valletta and Mdina became the "Old City" with a declining population. However Mdina has remained the refuge for Maltese nobles and has managed to preserve its medieval aristocratic ambience. The inhabitants number just under 500 and there is very little traffic within its walls due to the fact that only residents are allowed to drive into the city.

Sites not to miss in Mdina are the St Paul's Metropolitan Cathedral, the Cathedral Museum with its magnificent exhibits including a coin collection spanning 2,000 years and the interesting old houses around.
You will have a nice view on the caounrtyside from the City walls.