Rabat ( mt, Ir-Rabat, ) is a town in the Northern Region of Malta, with a population of 11,497 as of March 2014. It adjoins the ancient capital city of

Mdina Mdina ( mt, L-Imdina ; phn, 𐤌𐤋𐤈, Maleṭ; grc, Μελίττη, Melite (ancient city), Melíttē; ar, مدينة, Madīnah; ), also known by its Italian-language titles ("Old City") and ("Notable City"), is a fortifications of Mdin ...

, and a north-western area formed part of the Roman city of Melite until its medieval retrenchment. 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 Baħrija is a village in Rabat, Malta, with a low population density. The name Baħrija means ''moth'' in Maltese. It is also known in English as Baħria, of which the Counts Moscati had owned the fiefdom that was granted by the Grand Master of M ...

. Parts of the films '' Munich'' and '' Black Eagle'' were shot in Rabat. In December 1999,

Mtarfa Mtarfa ( mt, L-Imtarfa) is a small town in the Northern Region of Malta, with a population of 2,572 as of March 2014. It was considered to be a suburb of Rabat until 2000, when it became a separate local council. History A number of historic s ...

was split from Rabat to form a separate Local Council by Act XXI, an amendment to the Local Council Act of 1993 (Act XV).

Etymology

Rabat is a

Semitic Semitic most commonly refers to the Semitic languages, a name used since the 1770s to refer to the language family currently present in West Asia, North and East Africa, and Malta. Semitic may also refer to: Religions * Abrahamic religions ** ...

word which can mean "fortified town" or "suburb".

Catacombs

Rabat is home to the famous Catacombs of St. Paul and of St. Agatha. These

catacombs Catacombs are man-made subterranean passageways for religious practice. Any chamber used as a burial place is a catacomb, although the word is most commonly associated with the Roman Empire. Etymology and history The first place to be referred ...

were used in Roman times to bury the dead as, according to Roman culture, it was unhygienic to bury the dead in the city.

and parts of Rabat were built on top of the ancient Roman city of Melite. The Maltese catacombs were never meant to be hiding places during persecutions or as living quarters. The Catacombs of St. Paul are now looked after by Heritage Malta. Part of St. Paul's Catacombs, the part accessible from the Parish tradition and as recorded in the Bible, St. Paul stayed for three months when he was shipwrecked on the island in AD 60. In the Catacombs of St Agatha's, there are over 500 graves of several types, the majority being for children. There are sections for

pagan Paganism (from classical Latin ''pāgānus'' "rural", "rustic", later "civilian") is a term first used in the fourth century by early Christians for people in the Roman Empire who practiced polytheism, or ethnic religions other than Judaism. ...

s and Jews, as well as for Christians. There are also unique

fresco Fresco (plural ''frescos'' or ''frescoes'') is a technique of mural painting executed upon freshly laid ("wet") lime plaster. Water is used as the vehicle for the dry-powder pigment to merge with the plaster, and with the setting of the plaste ...

es. Another interesting feature in the Maltese catacombs is the agape table, two of which, carved out of bedrock, were found in the Catacombs of St. Paul.

Buildings

* St Pauls Collegiate and Grotto * Nativity of Our Lady church (k.a. Ta’Qasha) in St Rita Street. * St. Pauls - Count Roger Band Club * Archbishop Seminary *

Augustinian Priory Augustinians are members of Christian religious orders that follow the Rule of Saint Augustine, written in about 400 AD by Augustine of Hippo. There are two distinct types of Augustinians in Catholic religious orders dating back to the 12th–13 ...

* Annunciation Church ( Carmelite Fathers) *

Casa Cosmana Navarra Casa Cosmana Navarra ( en, Cosmana Navarra House) is a 17th-century aristocratic townhouse in Rabat, Malta. The building belonged to Cosmana Navarra (1600-1687), for whom it is named until date, who was the main benefactress of the rebuilding of t ...

* Church dedicated to St Martin of Tours (

) * Church of the Nativity of the Virgin Mary (Mtaħleb) * Church of St. Catherine (Tad-Daħla) * Church of the Immaculate Conception (Wied Gerżuma) * Church of the Nativity of the Virgin Mary (Tas-Salib) * Church of the Blessed Virgin ( Dominican Order) * Church of the Blessed Virgin ( Franciscan Minors) * Church of St. Francis ( Conventual Franciscans) * Collegiate Basilica of St Paul * Count Roger Band Club * Dominican Priory *

Domus Romana The Domus Romana (Latin for "Roman House"), stylized as the Domvs Romana (after Latin's lack of distinction between u and v), is a ruined Roman-era house located on the boundary between Mdina and Rabat, Malta. It was built in the 1st century B ...

* Dwejra Lines *

Fort Binġemma Fort Binġemma (formerly written as Fort Bin Jema or Fort Bengemma, mt, Il-Fortizza ta' Binġemma) is a polygonal fort in the limits of Rabat, Malta. It was built between 1875 and 1878 by the British as part of the Victoria Lines. The fort has be ...

* Għajn Għeriexem * L’Isle Adam Band Club * Loġġa tal-Palju * Saint Nicholas College - (Primary School A and B) * Santo Spirito Hospital - (

National Archives of Malta The National Archives of Malta ( mt, L-Arkivji Nazzjonali ta' Malta) is the central archive maintained by the Mediterranean island nation of Malta. The Archives has been housed in the Grandmaster's Palace for most of its lifetime, having move ...

) * Sanctuary of Our Lady of Good Health * St. Agatha’s Catacombs and Crypt * St. Agatha's Church (Missionary Society of St Paul) * St. Bartholomew's Church * St. Catald's Church * St. Luke Pastoral Centre - Nigret * St. Mark's Church (

Augustinians Augustinians are members of Christian religious orders that follow the Rule of Saint Augustine, written in about 400 AD by Augustine of Hippo. There are two distinct types of Augustinians in Catholic religious orders dating back to the 12th–13 ...

) *

St. Paul's Catacombs St. Paul's Catacombs are some of the most prominent features of Malta's early Christianity archeology. The archeological clearing of the site has revealed an extensive system of underground galleries and tombs dating from the third to the eighth ...

St. Paul's Missionary College St. Paul's Missionary College (abbreviated to SPMC) is a Maltese junior school and secondary school situated on Emmanuele Vitale Street in Rabat, Northern Region. History Founded as a non-fee-paying school by Joseph De Piro, it received it ...

* St. Sebastian's Church * Ta' Duna Church * Museum Station * Nicola Saura Hospital – Ospiza Saura * Niche of St. Paul in

Saqqajja Saqqajja is an urban area within the administration of Mdina, Malta, outside the walled city. The name "Saqqajja" originates from the Arab period, from a spring of fresh water in the area. The fountain of the spring that we see today was commis ...

Wignacourt Museum Wignacourt is a surname. Notable people with the surname include: House of Vignacourt *Adrien de Wignacourt (1618–1697), Grand Master of the Knights Hospitaller from 1690 to 1697 *Alof de Wignacourt (1547–1622), Grand Master of the Knights Ho ...

Districts in Rabat

*Bieb ir-Ruwa *Landrijiet *Għajn Qajjet *Għar Barka *Kunċizzjoni *

Fomm ir-Riħ Fomm ir-Riħ (meaning ''mouth of the wind'' in Maltese), is a small bay in the limits of Mġarr on the western side of the island of Malta. The area is characterised by a fault line which creates an interesting landscape with vertical cliffs and ...

*Miġra Ferħa *Tas-Salvatur *Tas-Salib *Il-Lunzjata *Għemieri (Gomerino) *Għajn Klieb *Ħofra ta' Ritz *Il-Ħemsija *Misraħ Suffara *Mtaħleb *Nigret *Nigret tal-Ħarruba *Raba Nemel *Ras ir-Raħeb *Rdum tal-Lunzjata *Rdum tal-Vigarju *Ħal-Bajjada *Ta'Qasgha` *Ta' Busugrilla *Ta' Cassia *Ta' Fantin *Ta' Gerżuma *Ta' Lawrenti *Ta' Manduca *Ta' Namura *Ta' Sirena *Tal-Infetti *Tabja *Tal-Forok *Tal-Marġa *Tal-Virtù *Tat-Torri *Tax-Xieref *

Ras ir-Raħeb Ras ir-Raħeb, known also as Ras il-Knejjes is a scenic limestone promontory in north western Malta, close to the hamlet of Baħrija. The headland is located in the administrative area of the council of Rabat. Ras ir-Raħeb lies in the north wes ...

*Santa Katarina (tad-Daħla) *

*Wied Gerżuma *Wied il-Baħrija *Wied il-Bużbież *Wied il-Fiddien *Wied iż-Żebbuġ *Wied Liemu *Wied Rini *Wied tal-Isqof *Wied tal-Marġa *Xagħra tal-Isqof

Thoroughfares

*Misraħ il-Parroċċa (Parish Square) *Misraħ San Duminku (Sant Dominic Square) *Pjazza tas-

(Saqqajja Square) *Telgħa tas-Saqqajja (Saqqajja Hill) *Triq Ġorġ Borg Olivier (George Borg Olivier Road) *Triq Għajn Qajjet (Ghajn Qajjet Road) *Triq Għeriexem (Gheriexem Street) *Triq Ħad-Dingli (Dingli Road) *Triq Ħal Bajjada (Hal Bajjada Street) *Triq il-Buskett (Buskett Road) *Triq il-Kbira (Main Street) *Triq il-Kulleġġ (College Street) *Triq it-Tiġrija (Tigrija Street) *Triq Santa Rita (St Rita Street) *Triq tat-Tabija (Tabija Street) *Vjal il-Ħaddiem (Labour Avenue)

Band clubs and feasts

*St. Paul, Conte Roger Band Club (Każin San Pawl Banda Konti Ruġġieru) *St. Joseph, L'Isle Adam Band Club A.D. 1860 (L-Għaqda Mużikali L'Isle Adam A.D. 1860) http://www.bandalisleadam.com/ *Festa Titulari tal-martirju ta’ San Pawl http://sanpawl.rabatmalta.com *Festa Sekondarja ta' San Gużepp http://sanguzepp.rabatmalta.com *Festa Prinċipali u Solenni ta' Corpus Domini *Festa tal-Madonna taċ-Ċintura http://www.rabatmalta.com/amcsaa *Festa ta' Santa Katarina tad-daħla *Festa ta' San Anton Abbati *Festa tal-Madonna tas-Saħħa *Festa tal-Immakulata Kunċizzjoni *Festa tat-Twelid ta-Marija - l-Imtaħleb *Festa ta' San Martin -

Sport

Rabat has its own

football Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kicking a ball to score a goal. Unqualified, the word ''football'' normally means the form of football that is the most popular where the word is used. Sports commonly c ...

club called

Rabat Ajax F.C. Rabat Ajax Football Club is a Malta, Maltese football (soccer), football club based in Rabat, Malta, Rabat. The last promotion to the Maltese Premier League was achieved in the 2011–12 season, when they earned promotion after finishing second b ...

Rabat won the Maltese Premier League twice (

1984–85 Maltese Premier League The 1984–85 Maltese Premier League was the 5th season of the Maltese Premier League, and the 70th season of top-tier football in Malta. It was contested by 8 teams, and Rabat Ajax F.C. won the championship. The season saw the relegation of Flor ...

and

1985–86 Maltese Premier League The 1985–86 Maltese Premier League was the 6th season of the Maltese Premier League, and the 71st season of top-tier football in Malta. It was contested by 8 teams, and Rabat Ajax F.C. won the championship. League standings Results Referen ...

), and the Maltese Cup once in 1986.

Twin towns — sister cities

Rabat is twinned with: * Tarquinia, Italy

References

External links

Rabat Local Council
{{Authority control Towns in Malta Local councils of Malta Phoenician colonies in Malta