Founded by Phoenicians around the 8th century BC, Mdina has a very long history, ruled by Romans, rebuilt by Byzantine Empire, fortified by Arabs and Kingdom of Sicily. Most of the today's fortifications were built by the Order of Saint John, who arrived to Malta in 1530. It is a very small walled city with an area of less than 1 sq. km of area, but Mdina is one of the most beautiful medieval towns in Europe. It has well-preserved narrow stone streets with wall-hanging lanterns, massive city walls with bastions, several stone city gates, and mix of Romanesque and Baroque architecture. Mdina is almost untouched by modern development.
