Malta’s ancient past has deep Jewish roots, and the history of Jews in Malta spans two millennia. Ancient Jewish tombs in Rabat testify to the existence in Roman times of a flourishing Jewish community on the island in the 4th and 5th centuries. We will start our tour at St. Paul’s Catacombs in Rabat, where you can see tombs that also contain impressive engravings of a Menorah.

Following our visit to the catacombs, we will take a short 10 minute walk from Rabat piazza, through the quaint streets, where you can admire the old houses, alleys, traditional balconies amongst other typical old town characteristics. Our walk will bring us to the walled city of Mdina. Mdina was the medieval capital during the Arab and Norman periods when the Jewish community prospered. In fact, the Jews made up one-third of the population in Mdina, and they lived side-by-side with Christians, in their own Jewish Quarter. During our walking tour of Mdina we will point out signs in Hebrew, such as ‘Old Jewish Silk Market’ attesting to the importance of Jews in the city’s economy and identifying the site where the synagogue was. You will also visit other parts of this beautiful old city during our walking tour and admire the stunning view from the high bastion walls. 

Our final stop on this tour will be in Valletta. We will drive along the perimeter of the city and an important Jewish historical landmark, the Jews Sally Port. During the times of the Order of St. John between 1530 and 1798, it was only through this gate that free Jews arriving in Malta were allowed to enter the city.

At this stage, our tour comes to an end and we make our way back to the cruise terminal.