| Medina Mdina or L-Imdina | ||
 | ||
Coat of arms and flag   | ||
| Salutation | Notable City | |
|---|---|---|
| State | Malta | |
| Altitude | 200 m a.s.l. | |
| Inhabitants | 306 (2011) | |
| Prefix tel | 356 | |
| POSTAL CODE | MDN | |
| Time zone | UTC 1 | |
Position
| ||
| Institutional website | ||
Medina is a city ofIsland of Malta.
To know
It still retains a monumental aspect, although it is now inhabited by a few hundred people. Despite its austere Arab walls, the interior has been enriched by the wonderful palaces of the major Maltese noble families.
The name Medina was given by the Arabs when in the ninth century they built mighty defensive walls surrounded in turn by a deep moat. Indeed medina in Arabic it means "fortified city". The construction of these walls has in fact divided Medina from the neighboring one Rabat.
Background
The first settlements in this area date back to the 4th millennium BC. Around the year 1000 the Phoenicians fortified the city for the first time, probably due to its strategic position at the highest point of the island. Under the domain Roman the governor of the island settled here and gave it the name of Melita and erected the municipiumIt is said that in 60 A.D. the apostle Saint Paul settled here due to the shipwreck he had during his last journey to Rome.The city owes its name to the Saracens who arrived in Malta around the year 870, surrounding the city with high defensive walls and separating it from the close RabatWith a diploma of 20 June 1428, Alfonso of Aragon, known as the Magnanimous, united Malta and Gozo to the crown of Aragon (Kingdom of Sicily) and gave it the name of Città Notabile, remaining the capital of the island until 1530, when on the initiative of Pope Clement VII and Emperor Charles V, the Knights of St. John settled in. In 1693 under the dominion of the Knights of Malta an earthquake destroyed many of the buildings in Mdina, the restoration of the damage reported by the walls and the city they were directed by the French architect François de Mondion and commissioned by the then grand master Manoel de Vilhena, while the cathedral, also destroyed, was rebuilt to a design by the Maltese Lorenzo Gafà.
How to orient yourself
Medina: full screen map.
How to get
By plane
The island's only airport is Malta International (IATA: MLA) 8 km from Valletta.
By bus
- From Sliema or San Giuliano you arrive with the 202/203 taking just under an hour.
- From Valletta you arrive with the 50/51/52 taking just over half an hour.
How to get around
The streets are so narrow that they preclude access to public transport, however it is so small that it can be easily explored on foot.
By public transport
It is possible to rent a horse carriage.
By car
Only locals are allowed to use cars within the city walls, most of the streets are too narrow anyway, and it takes less than 10 minutes to get from one end of the city to the other.
What see
- 1 Cathedral (Church of San Paolo), Misraħ San Pawl (Piazza San Paolo).
€ 5 (the ticket also includes a visit to the cathedral museum opposite and the de Piro palace). 
Mon-Sat 9: 30-16: 45, Sun 15: 00-16: 45. Amazing cathedral rebuilt around 1700 in Baroque style (the original was destroyed by an earthquake in 1693), paved with colorful tombstones of Maltese prelates and nobles (to date the most recent is from 2013). 
- Cathedral Museum (Cathedral Museum), Misraħ San Pawl (Piazza San Paolo). € 5 (the ticket also includes a visit to the cathedral opposite and the de Piro palace). Mon-Fri 9: 30-16: 30, Sat 9: 30-15: 00. In addition to a large number of paintings with a religious or Maltese theme, there are woodcuts, lithographs and copper engravings by Albrecht Dürer and an ancient collection of coins (although some come to British rule).
- Is-Sur Square (Misraħ Is-Sur). It is the viewpoint of Medina from which the island is dominated. It offers a spectacular view as far as the eye can see.
- De Piro Palace, 3, Triq Is-Sur (next to the cathedral), ☎ 356 2010 0560, 356 21450 560, @[email protected]. 17th century palace.
- 2 Palazzo Falson (Norman house), Villegaignon Street, ☎ 356 2145 4512. 10 € with audio guide (April 2013). A museum house and is the second oldest existing palace in Mdina and some parts date back to the thirteenth century.
- The Knights of Malta. € 6.50 with audio guide (July 2013). Audiovisual attraction to learn the history of the Knights of Malta and the city of Medina.
- Medieval Times (Costanzo Palace), Villegaignon Street, ☎ 356 21 454625, 356 21 459384, fax: 356 21 450224. Historical-cultural attraction located in the Costanzo palace.
- The Mdina Experience, 7 Mesquita Square, @[email protected]. € 6; free with Malta Pass (August 2013). A 30-minute film that traces the history of the old Maltese capital.
€ 5 (the ticket also includes a visit to the cathedral museum opposite and the de Piro palace). 
Mon-Sat 9: 30-16: 45, Sun 15: 00-16: 45. Amazing cathedral rebuilt around 1700 in Baroque style (the original was destroyed by an earthquake in 1693), paved with colorful tombstones of Maltese prelates and nobles (to date the most recent is from 2013).
Events and parties
What to do
- To wander. It is the main activity that can be carried out inside Medina and however far you can get away from the main streets there will never be a real risk of getting lost. In any case, at the entrance there is a tourist information office that will be able to provide you with a map of the city with a recommended itinerary.
Shopping
How to have fun
Where to eat
Where stay
Safety
How to keep in touch
Telephony
The coverage of the mobile network is not excellent (especially 3G), but it is still present in almost the whole city.
Around
- Rabat - A few tens of meters from the entrance to the walls.
Other projects
Wikipedia contains an entry concerning Medina (Malta)
Commons contains images or other files on Medina (Malta)
