The city of Mdina was the capital of Malta from Roman times until the arrival of the Knights of St. John in 1530.
The city was known as Melita in Roman times, Medina (from where it's current name is derived) during the Arab period (from 870 until the 13th century), as Notabile when Malta was part of the Kingdom of Aragon (from the 13th century until 1530), and as Città Vecchia (old city) after the capital was moved to the city of Valletta.
Today Mdina is also known as the 'Silent City', with just a few hundred inhabitants and with restricted access to traffic.