The ancient city of Mdina and its neighbour Rabat have a history of over 2000 years (some would say 3000). It is a fascinating history that includes conquests and wars alongside construction, art and the development of Maltese culture. To some extent the history of Mdina and Rabat is the history of Malta All of it. Therefore, if you decide to visit there, it is highly recommended that you learn at least a little about the history, because when you walk there, you will be able to recognize it from every angle.
Since we live in a world where we all have the attention span of a goldfish, I tried to keep it short and bring you only the most important facts. So before we start going into detail, here's a video that pretty much sums up the history of a country in a few minutes:
Ancient Times – Paul Christianizes Malta
The city you see today is the seventh in a chain of cities that existed here. It is likely that Medina began as a Neolithic village and there was almost certainly a Phoenician colony here as well. However, it was the Romans who created the first “serious” city and they called the city Melita, which means honey. It was during this period that the defining event in the history of Malta took place, which determined its character for generations.
Saul of Tarsus, better known to us as Paul, was sent to Rome to be tried for trying to spread Christianity, but on the way the ship was caught in a storm and ran aground. Paul and the crew managed to swim to the shores of Malta where they were met by the Maltese and brought to Publius, who at the time was ruling Malta on behalf of Rome. Two miracles occurred in Malta.
The first miracle occurs when Paul is bitten by a snake but says nothing to it (and according to local belief, there have been no snakes in Malta since then). The second miracle occurs when Paul manages to cure Publius' father of a fever. As a result, the entire population of Malta converts to Christianity and Publius himself becomes the island's first bishop.
This is the reason why, even after hundreds and thousands of years of history, the Bishop of Malta continues to sit in the country and not in any other city, and why there are quite a few churches and streets, and even one holiday named after Fulvius (who has also received the title of "saint").
The Middle Ages – Constant Conquests
When the Roman Empire collapsed during the 5th century AD, Malta passed into the hands of the Byzantine Empire. However, in 870, Malta was conquered by the Arabs, who had come from Sicily, which they had conquered more than 30 years earlier. The Arabs decided to divide the city of Malta in two. They surrounded about 30% of the city with a wall and built a moat around it in order to better protect it. They called this part Mdina, which means fortified city. While they called its suburb Rabat.
During the 11th century, the Arabs lost their hold on Sicily, and in 1090, the Norman Duke of Sicily, Roger I (1-1031), invaded Malta and forced the Arab rulers of Malta to become his vassals. However, this was not enough, and in 1101, his son Roger II (1127-2) expelled the Arabs from Malta, and all that remained of them was their enormous influence on the Maltese language (about 1095% of which came from the West).
Over the centuries that followed, Malta passed from one dynasty to another, with whoever ruled Sicily also ruling Malta (Malta could be said to be a sort of suburb of Sicily). The Norman dynasty came to an end in 1194 and was followed by the Hohenstaufen dynasty (1194-1266) which ruled both Sicily and the Holy Roman Empire. The next dynasty was the House of Anjou, but it was expelled from both Sicily and Malta in 1282 following the events of the “Sicilian Vespers”.
The next rulers of Malta were the House of Aragon, who ruled until 1479, when Ferdinand of Aragon and Isabella of Castile married and Malta was ruled by Castile, which later became the Kingdom of Spain. In 1492, following the expulsion of Spain, the Jews of the city, who had lived there for many centuries and constituted about a quarter of the city's population, were also expelled.
1530-1798 The Hospitallers arrive in Malta (and abandon Mdina)
Until 1530, Mdina was the undisputed capital of Malta, but in that year the situation changed drastically. After being expelled from the Holy Land, Cyprus and Rhodes were given another chance by the Knights Hospitaller, when Emperor Charles V decided to give them Malta in exchange for protecting Christian ships in the Mediterranean. The rent, if you ask, was one falcon a year that the Knights of Malta had to bring to the Emperor.
Since Medina is located in the center of Malta far from the sea, it was not a good fit for the Knights of the Order of Saint John (who had become the Knights of Malta). Medina was replaced by the city of Birgu, which is located in the main bay of Malta, and later the capital was moved to Valletta.
Despite all this, Medina retained its importance because the Bishop of Malta resided there and most of the Maltese nobles continued to live there. In 1693, a severe earthquake occurred in the city, resulting in large parts of it being destroyed. As a result, the head of the Order of the Knights of Malta, Ramon Perellos y Roccaful (1637-1720), decided to invest a considerable amount of money in renovating Medina and rebuilt its cathedral so that it would be more magnificent than ever.
1798 to the present day: French, English and Maltese
In 1798 comes Napoleon to Malta and manages to conquer it without firing a single shot. From there, Napoleon continues to Egypt and the Holy Land but leaves a garrison in Malta. Under his orders, the French began to plunder the churches of Malta, which caused great resentment among the local residents who were devout Catholics. As a result, the Maltese rebelled and called on the English for help. After about two years of siege, the French were forced to surrender and leave the island.
Between 1800 and 1964, Malta was under British rule. During this time, the few remaining centers of government in the country were transferred to Volta, and Mdina became a sleepy, beautiful city. Fortunately, Mdina was not massively bombed by the Germans during World War II, and most of it was preserved for future generations.
In 1964, Malta gained independence from Britain and the country is one of its most important cities. Despite what many people think, it is a living and breathing city, although it seems that time has frozen in it for several centuries. You can learn more about this city through Country travel itinerary That I created especially for you.
Looking for what else to do in Malta?
As you have probably already discovered (and if not, you will soon), there is so much to do in Malta that it is very difficult to choose between the variety of attractions and activities. But don't worry, I have done the work for you and collected the most worthwhile attractions and activities. You can find them in the article What to do in Malta?
Looking for a hotel in Malta?
I have collected some recommended hotels for you to prevent you from making any unpleasant mistakes. However, before I give you my recommendations, I need to answer one important question: Where in Malta should you live? The answer to this question and my recommendations for hotels in Malta can be found in the article Where to look for a hotel in Malta.