View source for Mdina

{{Short description|City in the Western Region of Malta}}
{{distinguish|Medina|Midna}}
{{Redirect|Silent City}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=January 2015}}
{{Infobox settlement
| name               = Mdina
| native_name        = {{native name|mt|L-Imdina}}
| official_name      = 
| other_name         = Città Notabile, Città Vecchia<br />Ann, Melite, Melita
| settlement_type    = City and [[Local councils of Malta|Local council]]
| image_skyline      = {{multiple image
| border                  = infobox
| total_width             = 280
| image_style             = border:1;
| perrow                  = 1/2/2
 | image1 = Malta - Mdina (Triq San Oswald) 02 ies.jpg
 | image2 = Malta - Mdina - Pjazza San Pawl + St. Paul's Cathedral ex 01 ies.jpg
 | image3 = Malta-Mdina-Gate.jpg
 | image4 = Mdina-palazzo-santa-sofia.JPG 
 | image5 = Natural History Museum Mdina (6810109710).jpg
}}
| image_caption      = From top: Skyline, [[St Paul's Cathedral, Mdina|Cathedral]], [[Mdina Gate|Main Gate]], [[Palazzo Santa Sofia]], [[Palazzo Vilhena]]
| image_flag         = Flag of Mdina, Malta.svg
| image_shield       = Mdina coa.svg
| nickname           = The Silent City
| motto              = 
| image_map          = Mdina in Malta.svg
| pushpin_map        = Mediterranean
| pushpin_relief     = 1
| map_caption        = 
| coordinates        = {{coord|35|53|9|N|14|24|11|E|type:city_region:MT|display=inline,title}}
| coordinates_footnotes = 
| subdivision_type   = [[List of sovereign states|Country]]
| subdivision_name   = {{flag|Malta}}
| subdivision_type1  = [[Regions of Malta|Region]]
| subdivision_name1  = [[Western Region, Malta|Western Region]]
| subdivision_type2  = [[Districts of Malta|District]]
| subdivision_name2  = [[Districts of Malta#Western District|Western District]]
| established_title  = Established
| established_date   = {{circa|8th century BC}} as Ann<br />{{circa|11th century AD}} as Mdina
| parts_type         = Borders
| parts_style        = para
| p1                 = [[Attard]], [[Mtarfa]], [[Rabat, Malta|Rabat]]
| leader_title       = [[List of mayors of places in Malta|Mayor]]
| leader_name        = Peter Sant Manduca
| leader_party       = [[Nationalist Party (Malta)|PN]]
| unit_pref          = Metric
| area_total_km2     = 0.9
| area_note          = 
| area_footnotes     = 
| elevation_m        = 
| elevation_footnotes = 
| population_total   = 250
| population_as_of   = Aug. 2023
| population_footnotes = 
| population_density_km2 = auto
| population_note    = 
| population_demonym = Midjan ([[grammatical gender|m]]), Midjana ([[grammatical gender|f]]), Midjani ([[plural|pl]])
| timezone1          = [[Central European Time|CET]]
| utc_offset1        = +1
| timezone1_DST      = [[Central European Summer Time|CEST]]
| utc_offset1_DST    = +2
| postal_code_type   = [[Postal codes in Malta|Postal code]]
| postal_code        = MDN
| area_code_type     = [[List of country calling codes|Dialing code]]
| area_code          = 356
| iso_code           = MT-29
| blank_name_sec1    = [[Religion in Malta#Patron Saints|Patron saints]]
| blank_info_sec1    = [[Saint Peter|St. Peter]]<br />[[Paul the Apostle|St. Paul]]<br />[[Our Lady of Mount Carmel]]
| blank1_name_sec1   = [[Public holidays in Malta#Traditional Feasts|Day of festa]]
| blank1_info_sec1   = 29 June<br />4th Sunday of July
| website            = {{Official URL}}
| footnotes          = Buses 50, 51, 52, 53, 56 from [[Malta bus|Valletta terminus]], stop at bus stop named "Rabat 3"<ref>{{cite web |title=Route Map |url=https://www.publictransport.com.mt/routes |website=Malta Public Transport |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160503234342/https://www.publictransport.com.mt/routes |archive-date=3 May 2016 |date=19 April 2016 }}</ref>
}}

'''Mdina''' ({{langx|mt|L-Imdina}} {{IPA|mt|lɪmˈdiːnɐ|}}; {{Langx|it|Medina}}), also known by its Italian epithets '''{{lang|it|Città Vecchia|italics=no}}''' ("Old City") and '''{{lang|it|Città Notabile|italics=no}}''' ("Notable City"), is a [[fortifications of Mdina|fortified]] city in the [[Western Region, Malta|Western Region]] of [[Malta]] which served as the island's former capital, from antiquity to the medieval period. The city is still confined within its walls, and has a population of 250.<ref>{{cite web |title=Estimated Population by Locality 31st March, 2014 |url=https://secure2.gov.mt/localgovernment/file.aspx?f=7810 |publisher=[[Government of Malta]] |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150621211549/https://secure2.gov.mt/localgovernment/file.aspx?f=7810 |archive-date=21 June 2015 |date=16 May 2014 |url-status=dead }}</ref>

A natural [[redoubt]], the area of the city has been inhabited since prehistory. A [[Phoenicia]]n [[Phoenician colonization|colony]] known as Ann ({{langx|phn|𐤀𐤍𐤍‎}}, {{sc|ʾnn}}) was established around the {{nowrap|8th century BC,}} sharing its name with the island and presumably acting as its capital. During the [[Punic Wars]], the town was acquired by the [[Roman Republic|Romans]] and renamed [[Melita (ancient city)|Melita]] ({{langx|grc|Μελίτη}}, {{translit|grc|Melítē}}) after the Greek and [[Latin language|Latin]] name for the island, probably taken from the Punic port at [[Cospicua]] on the [[Grand Harbour]]. Greco-Roman Melite was larger than present-day Mdina. It was reduced to its present size during the period of [[Byzantine Malta|Byzantine]] or [[History of Islam in southern Italy|Arab rule]]. Following a 9th-century massacre, the area was largely uninhabited until its refounding in the 11th century as {{Transliteration|ar|Madīnah}}, from which the town's current name derives. Mdina then continued to serve as the capital of Malta until the arrival of the [[Knights Hospitaller|Order of St. John]] in 1530, who used [[Birgu]] instead. Mdina experienced a period of decline over the following centuries, although it saw a revival in the early 18th century during which several [[Baroque architecture|Baroque]] buildings were erected.

Largely maintaining its medieval character, Mdina remained the centre of the Maltese nobility and religious authorities and property continues to largely be passed down from families and from generation to generation. It never regained its pre-1530 importance, however, giving rise to the popular nickname the "Silent City" by both locals and visitors.<ref>{{cite web |title=Mdina & Rabat |url=https://www.visitmalta.com/en/mdina-and-rabat |website=VisitMalta |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200613050338/https://www.visitmalta.com/en/mdina-and-rabat |archive-date=13 June 2020}}</ref>  Mdina is on the tentative list of [[UNESCO]] [[World Heritage Site]]s, and it is now one of the main tourist attractions in Malta.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Blasi |first1=Abigail |title=Top 10 day trips in Malta |url=http://www.lonelyplanet.com/malta/travel-tips-and-articles/top-10-day-trips-in-malta |publisher=[[Lonely Planet]] |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151010132218/https://www.lonelyplanet.com/malta/travel-tips-and-articles/top-10-day-trips-in-malta |archive-date=10 October 2015 |date=29 September 2014 }}</ref>

== Etymology ==
The name of the city derives from the [[Arabic]] word {{Transliteration|ar|madīnah}} ({{Script|Arab|مدينة}}), meaning "town" or "city".<ref>{{Cite book |last=Everett-Heath |first=John |url= |title=The Concise Dictionary of World Place-Names |publisher=Oxford University Press |year=2020 |isbn=9780191905636 |edition=6th |language=en |chapter=Mdina |quote=The present name is derived from the Arabic ''madīnah'' 'town' or 'city'.}}</ref><ref name=":2">{{Cite book |last=Said-Zammit |first=George A. |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=0ExmEAAAQBAJ&pg=PA28 |title=The Development of Domestic Space in the Maltese Islands from the Late Middle Ages to the Second Half of the Twentieth Century |publisher=Archaeopress Publishing Ltd |year=2016 |isbn=978-1-78491-392-2 |pages=28–29 |language=en}}</ref><ref name=":1">{{Cite book |last=Azzopardi |first=George |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=wEvsEAAAQBAJ&pg=PA13 |title=The Roman Municipia of Malta and Gozo: The Epigraphic Evidence |publisher=Archaeopress Publishing Ltd |year=2023 |isbn=978-1-80327-615-1 |pages=13 |language=en}}</ref> The name ''Melite'' or ''Melita'', associated with the former ancient settlement on the same site, has survived as the name of the island (Malta).<ref name=":1" />

==History==
===Antiquity===
{{main|Melite (ancient city)}}
[[File:Il-Belt. Mużew Nazzjonali tal-Arkeoloġija. Iskrizzjoni Feni1ja fuq ħaġra tal-franka (7 seklu QK) 1.jpg|thumb|100px|left|The [[Mdina steles|Mdina stele]]
attests to Malta's Phoenician past]]
The plateau on which Mdina is built has been inhabited since prehistory, and by the [[Bronze Age]] it was a place of refuge since it was naturally defensible.<ref name="spiteri3–4">{{harvnb|Spiteri|2004–2007|pp=3–4}}</ref> The [[Phoenicians]] established a [[Phoenician colonization|colony]] at the site, known as Ann after their name for the island,{{sfnp|Culican|1992}}{{sfnp|Filigheddu|2006}}{{sfnp|Vella|2023}} around the 8th century BC.{{sfnp|Cassar|2000|pp=53–54}} The [[Roman Republic]] captured Malta in {{nowrap|218 BC}}, early in the [[Second Punic War]]. They continued to use Mdina as their centre of administration but renamed it [[Melita (ancient city)|Melita]] after the [[ancient Greek language|Greek]] and [[Latin language|Latin]] name for the island, probably taken from the main Punic port on the [[Grand Harbour]].{{sfnp|Vella|2023}} The Punico-Roman city was about three times the size of present-day Mdina, extending into a large part of modern [[Rabat, Malta|Rabat]].{{sfnp|Sagona|2015|p=273}}

According to the [[Acts of the Apostles]], [[Paul the Apostle]] was shipwrecked on Malta in {{nowrap|AD 60,}} greeted by its governor [[Saint Publius|Publius]], and miraculously cured the governor's sick father before leaving.<ref>{{bibleverse|Acts|28:1-10}}</ref> [[Christian legend]] holds that the population of Malta then converted to [[Early Christianity|Christianity]], with Publius becoming [[Bishop of Malta]] and then [[Bishop of Athens]] before being [[Christian martyrdom|martyred]] in 112.<ref>{{cite web|title=Latin Saints of the Orthodox Patriarchate of Rome|url=http://orthodoxengland.org.uk/stdjan.htm|website=Orthodox England|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160326125437/http://www.orthodoxengland.org.uk/stdjan.htm|archive-date=26 March 2016}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=Orthodox Malta|url=http://orthodoxengland.org.uk/oemalta.htm|website=Orthodox England|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160307112535/http://www.orthodoxengland.org.uk/oemalta.htm|archive-date=7 March 2016}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|last=Traill|first=Henry Duff|date=1891|title=The Picturesque Mediterranean|url=https://www.forgottenbooks.com/en/download/The_Picturesque_Mediterranean_Its_Cities_Shores_and_Islands_v2_1000265522.pdf|volume=2|publisher=Cassell|location=from University of California|pages=53–54}}</ref>

Very few remains of the Punico-Roman city survive today. The most significant are the ruins of the [[Domus Romana]], in which several well-preserved mosaics, statues and other remains were discovered. Remains of the podium of a [[Temple of Apollo (Melite)|Temple of Apollo]], fragments of the city walls and some other sites have also been excavated.<ref name="times2002-03-19">{{cite news|last1=Testa|first1=Michael|title=New find at Mdina most important so far in old capital|url=http://www.maltamigration.com/news/times93020.shtml|work=[[Times of Malta]]|date=19 March 2002|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160413115810/http://www.maltamigration.com/news/times93020.shtml|archive-date=13 April 2016}}</ref>

===Medieval period===
At some point following the [[fall of the Western Roman Empire]], a [[Retrenchment (military)|retrenchment]] was built within the city, reducing it to its present size. This was done to make the city's perimeter more easily defensible, and similar reductions in city sizes were common around the Mediterranean region in the early Middle Ages. Although it was traditionally assumed that the retrenchment was built by the Arabs, it has been suggested that it was actually built by the [[Byzantine Empire]] in around the 8th century, when the [[Arab–Byzantine wars|threat from the Arabs]] increased.<ref name="spiteri3–4"/>

In 870, Byzantine Melite, which was ruled by governor Amros (probably Ambrosios), was [[Siege of Melite (870)|besieged]] by [[Aghlabids]] led by Halaf al-Hādim. He was killed in the fighting, and Sawāda Ibn Muḥammad was sent from [[Sicily]] to continue the siege following his death. The duration of the siege is unknown, but it probably lasted for some weeks or months. After Melite fell to the invaders, the inhabitants were massacred, the city was destroyed and its churches were looted. Marble from Melite's churches was used to build the castle of [[Sousse]] ([[Ribat of Sousse]], [[Tunisia]]) .<ref>{{harvnb|Brincat|1995|p=11}}</ref><ref>https://www.um.edu.mt/library/oar/bitstream/123456789/41626/1/Malta_fiz-zmien_nofsani_1989.pdf {{Bare URL PDF|date=March 2022}}</ref>

According to [[Al-Himyarī]], Malta remained almost uninhabited until it was resettled in 1048 or 1049 by Muslims from [[Emirate of Sicily|Sicily]] and their slaves, who built a settlement called Madina on the site of Melite.<ref name=":0522">{{Cite book |last=Cassar |first=Carmel |title=Encyclopaedia of Islam, Three |publisher=Brill |year=2022 |isbn=9789004161658 |editor-last=Fleet |editor-first=Kate |location= |pages= |language=en |chapter=Malta |quote=The Arabs established themselves in the old Roman town of Melita, which they renamed Mdina (Madīna). According to the Arab chronicler and geographer al-Ḥimyarī (d. c.727/1326–7), Malta remained practically uninhabited after the Muslim conquest, until it was colonised by Muslims from Sicily in 440–1/1048–9. Joseph Brincat interprets al-Ḥimyarī’s account of the 441/1049 Arab colonisation to suggest, among other things, that the island remained essentially uninhabited for 180 years (Brincat, 9–14), somewhat confirming Ibn Ḥawqal’s assertion that Malta was populated only by wild donkeys and numerous sheep, and that it "produces honey" (Ibn Hawqal, 1:198). |editor-last2=Krämer |editor-first2=Gudrun |editor-last3=Matringe |editor-first3=Denis |editor-last4=Nawas |editor-first4=John |editor-last5=Rowson |editor-first5=Everett}}</ref> Archaeological evidence suggests that the city was already a thriving Muslim settlement by the beginning of the 11th century, so 1048–49 might be the date when the city was officially founded and its walls were constructed.<ref>{{harvnb|Blouet|2007|p=41}}</ref>{{Verify source|date=April 2024|reason=This statement/argument doesn't seem to appear in the cited source. A 1981 edition of the book should be accessible at archive.org/details/storyofmalta0000bria/page/36/mode/2up. It's possible that a later edition would contain more detail, but also possible that this is WP:OR.}} The layout of the new city was completely different to that of ancient Melite.<ref name="times2002-03-19"/> Some aspects of present-day Mdina's layout, such as its narrow and maze-like streets, may still reflect the legacy of this period and share some similarities with historic North African [[Medina quarter|medinas]].<ref name=":2" />

The Byzantines [[Siege of Medina (1053–54)|besieged Medina]] in 1053–54, but were repelled by its defenders.<ref>{{harvnb|Brincat|1995|p=12}}</ref> The city surrendered peacefully to [[Roger I of Sicily]] after a [[Norman invasion of Malta|short siege]] in 1091,<ref>{{cite book|last1=Dalli|first1=Charles|editor1-last=Cortis|editor1-first=Toni|editor2-last=Gambin|editor2-first=Timothy|title=De Triremibus: Festschrift in honour of Joseph Muscat|date=2005|publisher=Publishers Enterprises Group (PEG) Ltd|isbn=9789990904093|page=273|url=http://melitensiawth.com/incoming/Index/The%20Arabs%20in%20Malta/2005%20Dalli.pdf|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140717075419/http://melitensiawth.com/incoming/Index/The%20Arabs%20in%20Malta/2005%20Dalli.pdf|archive-date=17 July 2014|chapter=The Siculo-African Peace and Roger I's Annexation of Malta in 1091}}</ref> and Malta was subsequently incorporated into the [[County of Sicily|County]] and later the [[Kingdom of Sicily]], being dominated by a succession of feudal lords. A castle known as the ''Castellu di la Chitati'' was built on the southeast corner of the city near the main entrance, probably on the site of an earlier Byzantine fort.

In the 12th century, the town's fortifications were rebuilt and expanded.<ref name=":2" /> By this time, the city had also been reduced to around its present-day size. The area to the south that had formerly been part of Roman Melite, now situated outside the city walls, was turned into a suburb, present-day Rabat.<ref name=":2" />

The population of Malta during the fifteenth century was about 10,000, with town life limited to Mdina, [[Birgu]] and the [[Cittadella (Gozo)|Gozo Citadel]]. Mdina was comparatively small and partly uninhabited and by 1419, it was already outgrown by its suburb, Rabat.<ref>{{Cite book|title=Medieval Malta: studies on Malta before the Knights|last=Luttrell|first=Anthony|publisher=The British School at Rome|year=1975|location=Rome|pages=55}}</ref> Under Aragonese rule, local government rested on the ''Università'', a communal body based in Mdina, which collected taxation and administered the islands' limited resources.  At various points during the fifteenth century, this town council complained to its Aragonese overlords that the islands were at the mercy of the sea and the [[saracen]]s.<ref>{{Cite journal|last=Vann|first=Theresa M.|year=2004|title=The Militia of Malta|journal=The Journal of Medieval Military History|volume=2|pages=137–142}}</ref>

The city withstood a [[Siege of Malta (1429)|siege]] by [[Hafsid dynasty|Hafsid]] invaders in 1429.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.timesofmalta.com/articles/view/20040912/letters/575th-anniversary-of-the-1429-siege-of-malta.112708|title=575th anniversary of the 1429 Siege of Malta|date=12 September 2004|work=[[Times of Malta]]|last1=Cauchi|first1=Mark|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160303211458/http://www.timesofmalta.com/articles/view/20040912/letters/575th-anniversary-of-the-1429-siege-of-malta.112708|archive-date=3 March 2016}}</ref> While the exact number of casualties or Maltese who were carried into slavery is unknown, the islands suffered depopulation in this raid.

===Hospitaller rule===
[[File:Aerial view Mdina, Malta.jpg|thumb|Aerial view of Mdina and [[Fortifications of Mdina|its fortifications]]]]

When the [[Knights Hospitaller|Order of Saint John]] took over in Malta in 1530, the nobles ceremoniously handed over the keys of the city to Grand Master [[Philippe Villiers de L'Isle-Adam]], but the Order settled in [[Birgu]] and Mdina lost its status as capital city.<ref>{{harvnb|Borg|2002|p=124}}</ref> In the 1540s, the fortifications began to be upgraded during the magistracy of [[Juan de Homedes y Coscon]],<ref>{{harvnb|Spiteri|2004–2007|p=9}}</ref> and in 1551 the city withstood a [[Invasion of Gozo (1551)#Initial landing on Malta|brief Ottoman siege]].<ref name="independent2015-06-15">{{cite news|last1=Grima|first1=Noel|title=The Mdina siege of 1429 was 'greater than the Great Siege' of 1565|url=http://www.independent.com.mt/articles/2015-06-15/local-news/The-Mdina-siege-of-1429-was-greater-than-the-Great-Siege-6736137257|work=[[The Malta Independent]]|date=15 June 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150815144304/http://www.independent.com.mt/articles/2015-06-15/local-news/The-Mdina-siege-of-1429-was-greater-than-the-Great-Siege-6736137257|archive-date=15 August 2015}}</ref>

During the [[Great Siege of Malta]] in 1565, Mdina was the base of the Order's cavalry, which made occasional sorties on the invading Ottomans. On 7 August 1565, the cavalry attacked the unprotected Ottoman field hospital, which led to the invaders abandoning a major assault on the main fortifications in Birgu and [[Senglea]]. The Ottomans attempted to take Mdina in September so as to winter there, but abandoned their plans when the city fired its cannon inefficiently at a much longer range than normal, leading them to believe that it had ammunition to spare. After the siege, Maltese military engineer [[Girolamo Cassar]] drew up plans to reduce Mdina's size by half and turning it into a fortress, but these were never implemented due to protests by the city's nobles.<ref name="independent2015-06-15"/> The fortifications were again upgraded in the mid-17th century, when the large De Redin Bastion was built at the centre of the land front.<ref>{{cite web|title=De Redin Bastion – Mdina|url=http://www.culturalheritage.gov.mt/filebank/inventory/Knights%20Fortifications/1445.pdf|website=National Inventory of the Cultural Property of the Maltese Islands|access-date=13 July 2015|date=28 June 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150714011656/http://www.culturalheritage.gov.mt/filebank/inventory/Knights%20Fortifications/1445.pdf|archive-date=14 July 2015}}</ref>

Mdina suffered severe damage during the [[1693 Sicily earthquake]]; although no casualties were reported, the 13th-century [[St. Paul's Cathedral, Mdina|Cathedral of St. Paul]] was partially destroyed, and it was rebuilt by [[Lorenzo Gafà]] in the [[Baroque architecture|Baroque style]] between 1697 and 1703.<ref>{{cite news|last1=Montanaro Gauci|first1=Gerald|title=Mdina cathedral destroyed in the 1693 earthquake|url=http://www.timesofmalta.com/articles/view/20150111/life-features/Mdina-cathedral-destroyed-in-the-1693-earthquake.551625|work=[[Times of Malta]]|date=11 January 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151213154924/http://www.timesofmalta.com/articles/view/20150111/life-features/Mdina-cathedral-destroyed-in-the-1693-earthquake.551625|archive-date=13 December 2015}}</ref>

On 3 November 1722, newly elected Grand Master [[António Manoel de Vilhena]] issued orders for the restoration and renovation of Mdina.<ref>{{cite journal|last1=De Lucca|first1=Denis|title=Mdina: Baroque town planning in 18th century Mdina|journal=Heritage: An Encyclopedia of Maltese Culture and Civilization|date=1979|volume=1|pages=21–25|publisher=Midsea Books Ltd}}</ref> This renovation was entrusted to the French architect and military engineer [[Charles François de Mondion]], who introduced strong [[French Baroque architecture|French Baroque]] elements into what was still a largely medieval city. At this point, large parts of the fortifications and the city entrance were completely rebuilt. The remains of the ''Castellu di la Chitati'' were demolished to make way for [[Palazzo Vilhena]], while the main gate was walled up and a new [[Mdina Gate]] was built nearby. Several public buildings were also built, including the [[Banca Giuratale (Mdina)|Banca Giuratale]] and the [[Corte Capitanale]]. The last major addition to the Mdina fortifications was Despuig Bastion, which was completed in 1746.<ref>{{cite web|title=Despuig Bastion – Mdina|url=http://www.culturalheritage.gov.mt/filebank/inventory/Knights%20Fortifications/1448.pdf|website=National Inventory of the Cultural Property of the Maltese Islands|date=28 June 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150713220736/http://www.culturalheritage.gov.mt/filebank/inventory/Knights%20Fortifications/1448.pdf|archive-date=13 July 2015}}</ref>

===French occupation and British rule===
[[File:French Mdina plaque.jpeg|thumb|Plaque near the [[Torre dello Standardo]] commemorating six Maltese people who were killed during the uprising of September 1798]]

On 10 June 1798, Mdina was captured by French forces without much resistance during the [[French invasion of Malta]].<ref>{{harvnb|Castillo|2006|p=103}}</ref> A French garrison remained in the city, but a Maltese uprising broke out on 2 September of that year. The following day, rebels entered the city through a sally port and massacred the garrison of 65 men.<ref>{{harvnb|Goodwin|2002|p=48}}</ref> These events marked the beginning of [[Siege of Malta (1798–1800)|a two-year uprising and blockade]], and the Maltese set up a National Assembly which met at Mdina's Banca Giuratale.<ref>{{cite web|title=Malta under the French: The Blockade|url=http://www.kagoon.com/3-blockadenotes-pdf-1/main|website=kagoon.com|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151027170439/http://www.kagoon.com/3-blockadenotes-pdf-1/main|archive-date=27 October 2015}}</ref> The rebels were successful, and in 1800 the French surrendered and Malta became a [[Malta Protectorate|British protectorate]].<ref name="independent2015-06-15"/>

From 1883 to 1931, Mdina was linked with [[Valletta]] by the [[Malta Railway]].<ref>{{cite web|title=The Route|url=http://maltarailway.com/route/route.html|website=maltarailway.com|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160313145104/http://maltarailway.com/route/route.html|archive-date=13 March 2016}}</ref>

===Present day===
Today, Mdina is one of Malta's major tourist attractions, hosting about 1.5 million tourists a year.<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Cassar |first=George |date=2015 |title=Sustainable Tourism Management - A Collection of Studies from Malta, Lebanon and Jordan |url=https://www.um.edu.mt/library/oar/bitstream/123456789/89080/1/Tourism,%20globalisation%20and%20identify.pdf |journal=Heland |isbn=978-99957-886-2-9}}</ref> No [[Automobile|cars]] (other than a limited number of residents, emergency vehicles, wedding cars and horses) are allowed in Mdina, partly why it has earned the nickname 'the Silent City' ({{Langx|mt|Il-Belt Siekta}}). The city displays an unusual mix of [[Norman architecture|Norman]] and [[Baroque]] [[architecture]], including several palaces, most of which serve as private homes.

An extensive restoration of the city walls was undertaken between 2008 and 2016.<ref>{{cite news|title=Mdina bastions restoration works completed|url=http://www.maltatoday.com.mt/news/national/63774/mdina_bastions_restoration_works_completed|work=[[Malta Today]]|date=5 April 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160424103722/http://www.maltatoday.com.mt/news/national/63774/mdina_bastions_restoration_works_completed|archive-date=24 April 2016}}</ref>

== Government ==
{{Infobox legislature|background_color=black|name=Mdina Local Council|coa_pic=Mdina coa.svg|coa_res=25px|logo=|house_type=[[Local councils of Malta|Local Council]]|foundation=30 June 1993|leader1=Peter Joseph dei Conti Sant Manduca|leader2=Joseph Debono|leader3=Mary Anne Sultana|leader1_type=Mayor|party1=[[Nationalist Party (Malta)|PN]]|leader2_type=Vice-Mayor|party2=[[Nationalist Party (Malta)|PN]]|leader3_type=Minority Leader|party3=[[Labour Party (Malta)|PL]]|structure1=Malta Mdina Local Council 2019 (election skipped).svg|political_groups1='''Administration'''
*{{color box|{{party color|Nationalist Party (Malta)}}}} [[Partit Nazzjonalista|Nationalist Party]] (4)
'''Minority'''
*{{color box|{{party color|Labour Party (Malta)}}}} [[Partit Laburista|Labour Party]] (1)|last_election1=2024 (Same 5 councillors elected unopposed since 2013)|next_election1=2029}}

=== Local Council ===
Mdina is governed by a directly elected five-member Local Council. The [[Partit Nazzjonalista|Nationalist Party]] has always had the majority of seats and all mayors of Mdina have come from this party, with the Labour Party holding either one, two or no seats at all since the inception of the council. Peter Joseph Sant Manduca, Count of Sant Manduca,{{Efn|Peter Joseph dei Conti Sant Manduca is the name he registers in local council elections.}}<ref>{{Cite web |title=Sant Manduca |url=https://santfournier.org/32%20COP%20Titles/sant_manduca.html |access-date=2023-07-11 |website=santfournier.org}}</ref> has been Mayor of Mdina since 2003.<ref>PARLIAMENTARY QUESTION, 1800/2008 Malta,

https://parlament.mt/media/60131/0468.pdf</ref> The 2019 election did not happen as only five nominations (therefore equalling the total amount of seats) were submitted.

==Places of interest==
[[File:Malta Mdina BW 2011-10-05 12-41-38.JPG|thumb|[[St. Paul's Cathedral, Mdina|St. Paul's Cathedral]]]]
[[File:Cathedral Museum in Mdina, Malta.jpg|thumb|Cathedral Museum]]
The following are a number of historic and monumental buildings around Mdina:<ref>{{cite journal|journal=ArcHistoR (AHR - Architecture History Restoration)|last=Thake|first=Conrad Gerald|date=2017|title=Architecture and urban transformations in Mdina during the reign of Grand Master Anton Manoel de Vilhena (1722-1736)|url=http://pkp.unirc.it/ojs/index.php/archistor/article/download/206/201|volume=4|issue=7|page=88|doi=10.14633/AHR054|issn=2384-8898|publisher=Università Mediterranea di Reggio Calabria|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170803182706/http://pkp.unirc.it/ojs/index.php/archistor/article/download/206/201|archive-date=3 August 2017}}</ref>
* The [[Fortifications of Mdina|city walls]], including [[Mdina Gate]], [[Greeks Gate]] and the ''[[Torre dello Standardo]]''
* [[St. Paul's Cathedral, Mdina|St. Paul's Cathedral]]
*[[St. Paul's Catacombs]]
* [[Palazzo Vilhena]] ([[National Museum of Natural History (Malta)|National Museum of Natural History]])
* [[Palazzo Falson]] (Norman House)
* Palazzo Gatto Murina
* [[Palazzo Santa Sofia]]
* [[Palazzo Costanzo]]
* [[Banca Giuratale (Mdina)|Banca Giuratale]]
* [[Corte Capitanale]] (city hall)
* [[St Agatha's chapel, Mdina|St. Agatha's Chapel]]
* [[St Nicholas Chapel, Mdina|St. Nicholas' Chapel]]
* [[St Roque's Church, Mdina|St Roque's Church]]
* Mdina Dungeons
* [[Annunciation Church, Mdina|Carmelite Church & Convent]]
* Mdina Experience
* [[St Peter's Church and Monastery, Mdina|St Peter's Church and Monastery]]
* Bastion Square
* [[Domvs Romana]], ruins of a Roman townhouse just outside the city

==Sports==
Founded in 2006, the [[Mdina Knights F.C.|Mdina Knights]] play in the third division league of the [[Malta Football Association]].

==Streets in Mdina==
[[File:Malta Mdina.jpg|thumb|Villegaignon Street, with the [[Banca Giuratale (Mdina)|Banca Giuratale]] visible in the centre]]

*Misraħ il-Kunsill (Council Square)
*Pjazza San Pawl (St Paul Square)
*Pjazza San Publiju (St Publius Square)
*Pjazza tal-Arċisqof (Archbishop Square)
*Pjazza tas-Sur (Bastion Square)
*Pjazzetta Beata Marija Adeodata Pisani (Blessed Maria Adeodata Pisani Square)
*Triq Inguanez (Inguanez Street)
*Triq Mesquita (Mesquita Street)
*Triq is-Sur (Bastion Street)
*Triq San Pawl (St Paul Street)
*Triq Santu Rokku (St Roch Street)
*Triq l-Imħażen (Magazines' Street)
*Triq Villegaignon (Villegaignon Street) (Main road).

==In popular culture==
*Mdina (together with [[Birgu]] and [[Gozo]]) plays a significant role in ''[[Lymond Chronicles#The Disorderly Knights (1966)|The Disorderly Knights]]'', the third book of the acclaimed [[Lymond Chronicles]] by [[Dorothy Dunnett]], which is set around the events of the [[Invasion of Gozo (1551)|Dragut Raid]] of 1551 when the [[Ottoman Empire|Ottomans]] briefly besieged the city.
*In [[White Wolf Publishing]]'s ''[[World of Darkness]]'', Mdina is the European capital of clan [[Lasombra]].
*In the 2007 novel ''[[Snakehead (novel)|Snakehead]]'' by [[Anthony Horowitz]], Mdina is the site of an "ambush" where [[MI6]] intends to retrieve [[Alex Rider]]'s father John.
*In the [[Game of Thrones (season 1)|first season]] of [[HBO]]'s ''[[Game of Thrones]]'', Mdina was the filming location for the series' fictional capital city of King's Landing.<ref>{{cite web |title=10 Game of Thrones Filming Locations in Malta and Gozo |url=https://www.thewholeworldisaplayground.com/game-of-thrones-filming-locations-malta-gozo/ |website=thewholeworldisaplayground.com |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191220085112/https://www.thewholeworldisaplayground.com/game-of-thrones-filming-locations-malta-gozo/ |archive-date=20 December 2019 |date=2 October 2017}}</ref> More specifically, Mesquita Square is the shooting location of Littlefinger's brothel and the town's baroque gate can be seen in the first season (episode 3).<ref>{{Cite web|last=Taskos|first=Nikos|date=2020-11-06|title=The 31 best things to do in Mdina [with photos]|url=https://www.mileswithvibes.com/mdina/best-things-to-do-in-mdina/|access-date=2020-11-08|website=Miles with Vibes|language=en-GB}}</ref>
* The action of several chapters (21ff) of A.J. Hackwith's fantasy novel ''The Library of the Unwritten'' (2019) is set in Mdina; the city has a special status in that "Nothing not born of humankind - not angel or demon [...] - gets in without invitation from its residents" (p.&nbsp;186).

== Notable people ==
{{unref-section|date=May 2025}}
* [[Pietru Caxaro]] - philosopher and poet
* [[Gasper Grima]] - philosopher
* [[John Constance Parnis]] - philosopher
* [[Francesco Azopardi]] - composer and music theorist
* [[Joseph Calleia]] - actor and singer

==Notes==
{{notelist}}

==References==
{{Commons}}
{{wikivoyage|Mdina}}

===Citations===
{{reflist|30em}}

===Bibliography===
{{Refbegin}}
*{{cite book|last1=Blouet|first1=Brian W.|title=The Story of Malta|date=2007|publisher=Allied Publications|isbn=9789990930818}}
*{{cite book|last1=Borg|first1=Victor Paul|title=The Rough Guide to Malta & Gozo|date=2002|publisher=Rough Guides|isbn=9781858286808|url=https://archive.org/details/roughguidetomalt00borg|url-access=registration|page=[https://archive.org/details/roughguidetomalt00borg/page/124 124]}}
*{{cite book|last1=Brincat |first1=Joseph M. |title=Malta 870–1054 Al-Himyari's Account and its Linguistic Implications |date=1995 |url=http://melitensiawth.com/incoming/Index/The%20Arabs%20in%20Malta/1995proc%20Malta%20870-1054%20by%20J.M.%20Brincat.pdf |publisher=Said International |location=[[Valletta]] |isbn=9990943192 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304095600/http://melitensiawth.com/incoming/Index/The%20Arabs%20in%20Malta/1995proc%20Malta%20870-1054%20by%20J.M.%20Brincat.pdf |archive-date=4 March 2016 |url-status=dead }}
*{{cite book|last1=Cassar|first1=Carmel|title=A Concise History of Malta|date=2000|publisher=Mireva Publications|location=[[Msida]]|isbn=1870579526}}
*{{cite book|last1=Castillo|first1=Dennis Angelo|title=The Maltese Cross: A Strategic History of Malta|date=2006|publisher=Greenwood Publishing Group|isbn=9780313323294|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=i5ns5LNtoiUC&pg=103}}
* {{citation |last=Culican |first=William |author-link=William Culican |contribution=Phoenicia and Phoenician Colonization |title=The Cambridge Ancient History |pages=461–546 |date=1992 |publisher=Cambridge University Press |location=[[Cambridge, England|Cambridge]] }}.
* {{citation |last=Filigheddu |first=Paolo |contribution=Die Ortsnamen des Mittelmeerraums in der Phönizischen und Punischen Überlieferung |pages=149–266 |publisher=Ugarit Verlag |date=2007 |editor=Manfried Dietrich |editor2=Oswald Loretz |display-editors=0 |location=Munster |title=Ugarit-Forschungen: Internationales Jahrbuch für die Altertumskunde Syrien-Palästinas |volume={{nbsp}} 38 2006 |ref={{harvid|Filigheddu|2006}} }}. {{in lang|de}}
*{{cite book|last1=Goodwin|first1=Stefan|title=Malta, Mediterranean Bridge|date=2002|publisher=Greenwood Publishing Group|isbn=9780897898201|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=up9Fy-NBiLAC&pg=PA48}}
*{{cite book|last1=Sagona|first1=Claudia|title=The Archaeology of Malta|date=2015|publisher=Cambridge University Press|isbn=9781107006690|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=qR5TCgAAQBAJ&pg=PA273}}
*{{cite journal|last1=Spiteri|first1=Stephen C.|title=The 'Castellu di la Chitati' the medieval castle of the walled town of Mdina|journal=Arx – Online Journal of Military Architecture and Fortification|date=2004–2007|issue=1–4|url=http://www.militaryarchitecture.com/Arx/arx1_4_2008.pdf|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151115113200/http://www.militaryarchitecture.com/Arx/arx1_4_2008.pdf|archive-date=15 November 2015}}
* {{citation |last=Vella |first=John |contribution-url=https://www.athensjournals.gr/mediterranean/2023-9-1-2-Vella.pdf |contribution=Greek Words in Maltese Harbour Toponymy |title=Athens Journal of Mediterranean Studies |volume=9 |issue=1 |date=January 2023 |pages=25–52 }}.
{{Refend}}

{{Mdina}}
{{Local councils of Malta and Gozo}}
{{Phoenician cities and colonies|state=collapse}}
{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Mdina| ]]
[[Category:Local councils of Malta]]
[[Category:Populated places established in the 8th century BC]]
[[Category:Former national capitals]]
[[Category:World Heritage Tentative List]]
[[Category:Phoenician colonies in Malta]]