This town in Malta is known as the 'Silent City'

This article was produced by National Geographic Traveller (UK).

The honey-hued walls and ornate cathedral towers of Mdina rise out of Malta’s scorched interior. The country’s former capital traces its origins back more than 4,000 years, and various ruling powers have washed up here over the centuries. The Phoenicians and Romans expanded the city’s influence, while Arab rule from the 9th century gave Mdina its name, derived from medina, meaning ‘town’. In the 1500s, political power shifted to Valletta, the local population dwindled, and Mdina was nicknamed the ‘Silent City’. Today, it’s a far cry from silent, but a walk through its stone streets reveals narrow alleys full of mystery, and winding lanes with whispers of a bygone era.

Most visits start at the 18th-century Mdina Gate,