Mdina (pronounced um-DEE-na) is one of my favorite places in Malta - it’s a beautiful city and the most immaculate place on the island. It’s also the oldest continuously inhabited city on the island, dating back 4,000 years to when the Phoenicians founded it.
The Normans arrived in 1091, and you can see their architectural influence throughout the city. At this time, Mdina was made the capital of Malta - in part because it had a protected inland location surrounded by a wall, yet it was high enough to keep an eye on the seas.
In the 1500s, the Knights of Malta arrived. However, after the Great Siege of Malta in 1565, the Knights moved Malta’s capital to what is now Vittoriosa, one of the Three Cities across the Grand Harbour from Valletta.
That may be how Mdina became known as the “Silent City.” Once the capital left Medina, it became a virtual ghost town.
Mdina takes its silent status seriously to this day. Very few cars are allowed to enter the city walls, and the businesses here have strict noise regulations. You even see signs urging silence all over the city.
Odd as it may seem, keeping the noise to a minimum allows you to see Mdina as it once was, whether it were decades or centuries ago.
Today, Mdina has a population of just 300. Some of them live in tiny apartments on the backstreets of the city; others are living in opulent villas like this one.