The word Mdina is derived from the Arabic word 'medina' which means 'city'.  It was first created as such by the Romans when they separated it from the rest of the town which became Rabat, which means Suburb, and fortified it. Mdina was already the principal settlement of the Phoenician around 3,000 years ago and up until the arrival of the Knights of St. John in the mid 1500's, it was the capital of Malta.  

Although the tremors of 1693 resulted in no casualties, considerable damage was made to buildings, particularly to the Mdina's medieval cathedral. The damage caused by the earthquake served as a good excuse for the Knights of St. John to leave their architectural mark on the city and the dismantling of the old cathedral and the foundations of the new one, designed by Lorenzo Gafa, started in May 1693. 

Today Mdina is a major tourist attraction recognised internationally as an important UNESCO heritage site and is the seat of the Maltese bishop.  In fact, the Mdina cathedral still takes precedence over the co-cathedral of St. John.