Mdina lies almost in the center of Malta high on a hill. The walled city is so immaculately preserved that it almost feels a little like a movie set! With only a few hundred residents, the Silent City as it is also called, is a peaceful and lovely town.
The view from the walls.
St. Paul is said to have spent time here after a shipwreck and the main cathedral is named for him.
Mdina, which means “fortified place” in Arabic, is so small that it's impossible to get lost and it takes no more than probably 15 minutes to walk end to end. This is great news since it has so many quiet and inviting streets to explore.
Historically, those who did not live in Mdina lived next door in Rabat, “suburb” in Arabic. Today, Rabat has far surpassed Mdina in size and population. I had a great time visiting the Wignacourt Museum which includes St. Paul's Grotto, catacombs, and a WWII shelter.
When St. Paul shipwrecked on the island, he was taken prisoner here for about 3 months. It is said that he was allowed to wander around in the day and always returned at night. He is thought to have founded the first Christian community in Malta.
The WWII shelter and catacombs are located in the same complex as St. Paul's Grotto. Comprised of 2 principal corridors with 50 rooms, the shelter kept the local population safe through more than 3,000 air raids between June 1940 and August 1944.
Just off the shelter is the catacombs. In Roman times, the dead were buried here. My photos will absolutely fail to do the catacombs justice! I was one of the only people here when I visited, but I occasionally heard the voices of others echoing through the halls, setting an eerie scene. The passage ways were so narrow at times that I had to turn sideways to fit through. The chambers seemed sporadically built and there were plenty of odd nooks and crannies. It was completely surreal and spooky, just the way I like it.
