Rabat, Malta

Rabat (or Ir-Rabat) is a village just outside Mdina, Malta. The name of the village is derived from the Arabic word for 'suburb': الرباط, as it was the suburb of the old capital Mdina. Half of the present-day village core also formed part of the Roman city of Melita, before the latter was resized during the Fatimid occupation. The population of Rabat is 12,462 (2010).Parts of the film Munich and Black Eagle were shot in Rabat. The village shares a name with the capital of Morocco.

The Apostolic Nunciature of the Holy See to the Republic of Malta is seated in this village.

The Local Council of Rabat is also the administrator of Baħrija.

Catacombs

Rabat is home to the famous Catacombs of St. Paul and of St. Agatha. These catacombs were used in Roman times to bury the dead as, according to Roman culture, it was unclean to bury the dead in the city (Mdina and parts of Rabat were built on top of an ancient Roman city). The Catacombs were also where early Christians secretly met and performed Mass until Constantine I made Christianity the official religion of the Roman Empire and therefore stopped persecuting Christians. The Catacombs are now looked after by Heritage Malta, the organisation which looks after most of the museums and temples in Malta. Part of St. Paul's Catacombs, the part accessible from the Parish church which is dedicated to the same Saint, was where, according to tradition and as recorded in the Bible, St. Paul stayed for three months when he was...
Read More