“Beneath Rabat is a second city — carved in rock, dark and silent. A Roman-era cemetery and one of the most fascinating sites on Malta.”
Beneath Rabat, right at the boundary with Mdina, a second city lies hidden. Carved in rock, dark and silent. These are St. Paul's Catacombs — the largest catacombs on Malta and one of the most important early-Christian sites in the entire Mediterranean basin.
Roman practice was straightforward: the dead are not buried inside the city. So for centuries, tombs were carved beneath Rabat (which lay just outside the walls of Mdina). The labyrinth grew over the generations, reflecting the religious and cultural diversity of the society above.
Ticket: €6 (or free with the Heritage Malta Pass). A guide is included in the price. It is cool and damp inside — a pleasant relief from summer heat. Visiting time: about 45 minutes. Rabat is a few minutes by bus from central Valletta.
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