Travel-World Photography
Mdina , also known by its Italian-language titles Città Vecchia ("Old City") and Città Notabile ("Notable City"), is a fortified city in the Northern Region. Mdina served as the island's capital from antiquity to the medieval period. The city is still confined within its walls, and has a population of 250. But Mdina is contiguous with the town of Rabat, which takes its name from the Arabic word for suburb, and has a population of over 12,000.
The city was founded in around the 8th century BC by Phoenician settlers, and was named Melite by the Romans. Ancient Melite was larger than present-day Mdina. It was reduced to its present size during the Byzantine or Arab occupation of Malta. During the latter period, the city adopted its present name, which derives from the Arabic word medina (meaning old part of a town). The city remained the capital of Malta throughout the Middle Ages, until 1530.
Mdina remained the centre of the Maltese nobility and religious authorities. However, it never regained its pre-1530 importance, giving rise to the popular nickname the "Silent City".
