Mdina

Malta is so maritime that even the bus stops in Valletta are called bays.

A bus stop in Valletta

Buses run from Valletta to Mdina, the island’s historic capital. But the first thing you see when you get off the bus isn’t ancient ruins but an English phone booth. Malta was part of the British Empire from 1814 to 1964.

Malta was part of the British Empire from 1814 to 1964

Still, just a hundred meters away stands an awesome fortress.

Just a hundred meters away stands an awesome fortress

Mdina is a very old city. People lived here 4,000 years ago, but the fortress in its present form was built by the descendants of the crusaders between the 16th and 18th centuries.

The fortress walls of Mdina’s old town

The name Mdina itself is the Arabic word medina with the “e” swallowed, meaning simply “city.” Apart from that, nothing Arabic is left in Mdina.

An old street in the Arabic named town of Mdina

In fact, the whole city is inside the fortress, just like Valletta. The beauty here is incredible.

The whole city is inside the fortress The whole city is inside the fortress

Street signs of impossible beauty.

Street signs of impossible beauty

The alleys of Mdina are narrow and straight.

The alleys of Mdina are narrow and straight

Like everything in Malta, Mdina is built entirely of sandstone. It isn’t the most durable material, so in places the walls are badly worn.

Worn stone walls in old Mdina A stone paved street in Mdina

Like Valletta, Mdina resembles an apartment covered from floor to ceiling with the same wallpaper.

Mdina resembles an apartment covered from floor to ceiling with the same wallpaper

The city is very small, and almost everything in it looks the same. Now and then you come across small details like an antique lantern or a figure sticking out of a wall.

A narrow street in small town Mdina Stone houses in Mdina’s old town

There are very few plants in Mdina, and those that are here look alien in this stone paradise.

Sparse plants among Mdina’s stone streets Plants beside Mdina’s stone walls Greenery among Mdina’s historic architecture

Tourists come to Mdina all the time, so signs on the walls ask visitors to keep quiet.

A quiet zone sign on an Mdina wall

From the fortress there’s a view of rural Malta.

From the fortress there’s a view of rural Malta

Rabat

In fact, Mdina isn’t really a city. It’s more of a tourist monument where 300 people live. Next to Mdina is another town called Rabat. Its population is 11,000.

In the center of Rabat stands a cool 18th-century basilica.

In the center of Rabat stands a cool 18th-century basilica

The town as a whole is low-rise and compact.

The town as a whole is low-rise and compact

Unlike polished Mdina, Rabat is full of shabby walls and other beauty.

Rabat is full of shabby walls and other beauty

You come across Arab-style balconies like in Valletta, but rarely.

An Arab style balcony on a Rabat street

A mild degree of disorder is effectively maintained on the streets.

A mild degree of disorder is effectively maintained on the streets

For obvious reasons, cars are banned in Mdina, and for obvious reasons they are allowed in Rabat.

A car entering neighboring Rabat

There isn’t much to do here, really.

A quiet street in Rabat, Malta
That’s all, folks
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