Mdina

Mdina (Maltese: L-Imdina [lɪmˈdiːnɐ]; Italian: Medina), also known by its Italian epithets Città Vecchia ("Old City") and Città Notabile ("Notable City"), is a fortified city in the Western Region of Malta which was the island's capital from antiquity to the medieval period. The city has not spread beyond its ancient walls, and has a population of 250.

A natural redoubt, the area of the city has been inhabited since prehistory. A Phoenician colony known as Ann (Phoenician: 𐤀𐤍𐤍‎, ʾNN) was established around the 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 Romans and renamed Melita (Ancient Greek: Μελίτη, Melítē) after the Greek and 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 or Arab rule. Following a 9th-century massacre, the area was largely uninhabited until its refounding in the 11th century as Madīnah, from which the town's current name derives. Mdina then continued to serve as the capital of Malta until the arrival of the Order of St. John in 1530, who established their capital at 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 buildings were erected.

Mdina remained the centre of the Maltese nobility and religious authorities, and property largely continues to be passed down in families from generation to generation. The city has never regained the importance it had before 1530, giving rise to the popular nickname the "Silent City" among both locals and visitors. Mdina, having largely maintained its medieval character, is on the tentative list of UNESCO World Heritage Sites, and has become one of the main tourist attractions in Malta.