I visited the cities of Mdina, Rabat, and Valletta. Scattered across Malta are several medieval building. I visited the northern parts of Malta to see some of the De Redin towers and Saint Agatha's Tower. I visited the Għallis Tower and the Madliena Tower of the De Redin Towers.
Valletta is the capital city of Malta. It is located on the north shore of the main island of Malta. The historical city has a population of 6,444 (as of March 2014), while the metropolitan area around it has a population of 393,938.
View of Valletta. (689k) View of Valletta with the dome of the Madonna tal-Karmnu - Our Lady of Mount Carmel Church in the center. (675k) St. John's Co-Cathedral. (567k) City wall of Valletta with the tower of St. Paul's Anglican Pro-Cathedral. (749k) City wall of Valletta with Fort St. Elmo. (574k) City wall of Valletta. (671k) Moat around Valletta. (871k) Stairs in Valletta. (838k) Cobble street in Valletta. (788k) Pedestrian street in Valletta. (827k) Republic Street in Valletta, leading down to Fort St. Elmo. (926k) Triton Fountain in Valletta. (636k) Valletta Harbor with large cruise ship. Valletta was full of tourists. (728k) Fort St. Angelo across the harbor inlet. (694k) View of 17th-century Fort Ricasoli from Fort St. Elmo. (621k) 17th-century Fort Ricasoli. (634k) Cemetery at the Church of All Souls in Tarxien. (724k) Cemetery at the Church of All Souls in Tarxien. (798k) Paola Parish Church. (767k)
Mdina, Rabat, Mosta, and Naxxar
Mdina and Rabat are two beautiful medieval cities with interesting architecture. Mdina is a fortified city in central Malta, which served as the island's capital from antiquity to the medieval period. The city is still confined within its walls, and has a population of just under 300, but it is contiguous with the town of Rabat, which takes its name from the Arabic word for suburb, and has a population of over 11,000 (as of March 2014).
The Domus Romana is a Roman villa on the border between Mdina and Rabat, dating back to the 1st century CE. It contains some nice floor mosaics.
Mosta is a town in the Northern Region of Malta, to the north-west of Valletta. In 2014, it had an estimated population of 20,241.
The most famous building in Mosta is the Rotunda, a large church with the third largest unsupported dome in the world.
Naxxar is a town in the Northern Region of Malta, with a population of about 13,443 people as of March 2014. The Naxxar Parish Church is dedicated to Our Lady of Victories.
View of Mdina. (679k) City wall of Mdina. (701k) In Mdina. (700k) Alley in Mdina. (775k) Alley in Mdina. (623k) Alley in Mdina. (857k) St. Paul's Cathedral in Mdina. (880k) Inside St. Paul's Cathedral in Mdina. (967k) Inside St. Paul's Cathedral in Mdina. (970k) Altar in the St. Paul's Cathedral in Mdina. (994k) Altar in the St. Paul's Cathedral in Mdina. (971k) Marble floor mosaic in St. Paul's Cathedral in Mdina. (766k) Marble floor mosaic in St. Paul's Cathedral in Mdina. (801k) Carmelite Priory in Mdina. (803k) Statue on the Carmelite Priory in Mdina. (876k) Inside the Carmelite Priory in Mdina. (857k) Altar in the Carmelite Priory in Mdina. (960k) Doorway in Mdina. (872k) Gate between Mdina and Rabat. (860k) View of the grounds of the Domus Romana. (1007k) Various stone artifacts in the Domus Romana. (1149k) Marble floor mosaic in the Domus Romana. (873k) Marble floor mosaic with the "Drinking Doves" in the center. (889k) Close-up of the "Drinking Doves" floor mosaic. (752k) Marble statue in the Domus Romana. (599k) St. Paul's Church in Rabat. (760k) Mosaic on St. Paul's Church in Rabat. (946k) St. Cataldus Church in Rabat. (680k) St Dominic's Priory in Rabat. (674k) St Dominic's Priory. (645k) Wooden door at St Dominic's Priory. (549k) Stone carved crest on St Dominic's Priory. (690k) Courtyard in St Dominic's Priory. (1046k) Sun dials in St Dominic's Priory. I don't know what they are supposed to show. (851k) Close-up of one of the sun dials. (918k) Close-up of another one of the sun dials. (855k) The Rotunda of Mosta. (938k) The Rotunda of Mosta. (810k) The Rotunda of Mosta. (739k) Naxxar Parish Church. (801k) Stone-carved statue on the Naxxar Parish Church. (648k) Stone-carved statue on the Naxxar Parish Church. (674k)
De Redin Towers
The De Redin Towers are a series of small coastal watchtowers built by the Order of Saint John between 1658 and 1659. Thirteen towers were built around the coast of mainland Malta, eight of which still survive.
Għallis Tower. (701k) Madliena Tower. (632k)
Saint Agatha's Tower
Saint Agatha's Tower, also known as the Red Tower, is a large bastioned watchtower in Mellieħa, Malta. It was built between 1647 and 1649, as the sixth of the Lascaris towers. The tower's design is completely different from the rest of the Lascaris towers, but it is similar to the earlier Wignacourt towers. St. Agatha's Tower was the last large bastioned tower to be built in Malta.
Saint Agatha's Tower. (734k) Saint Agatha's Tower. (760k)
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