A day for some more sightseeing. A place we should have visited while we were at Mdina was Rabat, right next door. It is known mostly for its extensive series of catacombs. Rabat is more than that too. An historical city, Rabat sits beside Mdina (Rabat is derived from an Arabic word for suburb as it was once a part of Mdina). Together with Mdina, it formed the seat of power when the Muslims controlled Malta. 

Today, Rabat is a mid sized town/city with about 11,000 residents. Today it is not only an important site which reflects Malta's history, it is also known for the extensive catacombs beneath it. Formed from the remnants of a quarry, the catacombs were developed by the Romans as a place to bury the dead. All religious persuasions were buried here (including Pagans), as well as people of all social status.

Descending into the catacombs the air becomes quite thick with a strong smell of dust. Quite claustrophobic. Even though they have been cleared of any signs of their true purpose, it is a solemn place to walk around. Thankfully, there were not too many other people there at the same time as we were. Trying to negotiate the low narrow passageways with a large number of people there would have been difficult to say the least.

Apart from the catacombs, Rabat is worthy of a visit for its above ground charms as well. Beautiful churches, ancient government buildings, charming cafes, ancient cobblestones which have been walked upon by hundreds of thousands of feet for thousands of years.