The medieval walled citadel city of Mdina is perched on a rocky outcrop in the south-west of Malta.
Mdina has been a place of sanctuary since the Bronze Age because of its naturally defensible location. The city served as the Malta’s capital from antiquity to the medieval period and during that period was the centre of the Maltese nobility and religious establishments.
Nicknamed the Silent City (only 300 inhabitants), Mdina is an elegant and well preserved fortified city. Within its solid walls lay a fascinating maze of twisting narrow alleyways flanked by yellow-sand stoned Baroque influenced architecture, some with hidden courtyards and adorned with elaborate balconies, balustrades and door knockers.
In the city’s heart is the Metropolitan Cathedral of Saint Paul, founded in the 12th century on the very site where Publius, Roman Governor of Malta, met St. Paul following his shipwreck.
Mdina is on the tentative list of UNESCO World Heritage Site and is a popular tourist attraction in Malta.
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All images, text and content are copyright Steven Sklifas.
Steven Sklifas 