I am amazed by the splendour of Mdina. Whenever I have a bit of free time, I would gladly take the opportunity to visit this wonderful place with some good company. The majestic evening lights of Mdina may be appreciated as you are making your way to it from the Birkirkara bypass. Its characteristics make it quite unique and there are simply no localities in Malta which compare.
The property is majestic. The architecture boasts class and character, reminscient of noblemen. The value of such property makes it only affordable to the elite and you rarely ever see a house for sale in Mdina. No wonder! Who would part with a property like that?
I am also highly fascinated by the area surrounding the Cathedral. The Mdina cathedral is majestic and can be enjoyed by both the locals and tourists visiting Mdina. The surrounding houses are some of the best you will set your eyes on!
Mdina’s history has undoubtedly had an influence on the landscape of this remarkable locality. From the Bronze Age, Mdina was already equipped with fortifications. This would be around the one thousand Before Christ era, where Mdina was called Malet, meaning refuge. Malet was also the name of Malta. This was a time where Malta was under the rule of the Phoenicians.
Tradition has it that a palace was built in Mdina, occupying the same place the cathedral holds today and was home to the Roman Governor Publius, who was appointed by Saint Paul as Malta’s first bishop.
In 870 AD, Malta was attacked by the Saracens and Malet became Mdina. Mdina and Rabat were separated by the Arabs for defence purposes. Mdina maintained the same structure of streets and layout till the present day.
Mdina was a strong contributor in the great siege against the Turks led by the Portugese governor Don Mesquita, achieving victory.
In 1693 Mdina suffered architectural damage, including to the cathedral due to a strong earthquake. It is here when Gran Master Vilhena undertook a project to revitalise the buildings in Mdina with new palaces. The modern layout can be attributed to the Gran Master’s work.
The people in Mdina were also the first to rebel against the French, killing General Masson and initiating the revolt throughout the rest of Malta.
The diverse influences have left their mark on Mdina and it can be classified as the last refuge of Maltese aristocracy, boasting a medieval character. Referred to as the ‘Silent City’ Mdina is indeed one of Malta’s best jewels.
