Rabat

The Roman Villa | St Paul's Catacombs | St Agatha's Catacombs

Rabat is a suburb of Mdina. Rabat, like Mdina is an Arabic word. The only legacy of the Arabs on the Island is our language, which stems mainly from Arabic but we use the Roman script, many of the names of our towns and villages are Arabic in origin and some of our family names are Arabic in origin as well. But we are European in our mentality, European in our arts, and also European in our Religion. In Rabat there are several places of historic importance.

The Roman Villa

This is situated just outside the Greeks Gate of Mdina. The Roman Villa was excavated in 1881. The columns on the front door were built much later to give one an idea that one is entering a Roman Villa. Maybe the word villa is here a misnomer, as it is a Roman Town House in reality. In the Roman Villa, one can still admire an olive-oil press, dating back to Roman times. One must point out that, in every Roman Villa that was excavated, olive oil presses were found. It seems that the Romans made good use of the olives that grew wild here. Even the Arabs who came after the Romans made good use of olives. Today, olives are imported, some say that Maltese olives are somewhat bitter. Apart from the olive oil press, one can also admire here in the Roman Villa, a flour mill as well as various urns used for oil or wine.

In vetrines on this floor are some phials used in all probability by Roman doctors. Next take the steps to the right and here one can admire an extraordinary beautiful, polychrome, mosaic floor, which when the Villa was excavated it was found intact. Through a mirror one can also admire how beautifully carved these Roman buildings were. Various inscriptions were found - one said that a temple was dedicated to Apollo, another inscription leaves us guessing that somewhere a theater or a building was used as a theater as the inscription is dedicated to the death of a young comic actor from Pergamenon. A large number of inscriptions were dedicated to Juno. About seven towers were discovered dating back to Roman times but only one was properly investigated. This was the tower in the village of Safi. In this tower, were found a golden earring, an iron axe and a piece of carbonized bread. These three things can be admired in the end vetrine on the right hand side before one comes to the mirror. In the back room are inscriptions found on Moslem graves, which were found at the back of the Roman Villa.

St Paul's Catacombs

These catacombs date back to the 4th and 5th century after Christ. Maybe even here the word Catacombs is a misnomer because, in comparison to the catacombs in Sicily, Rome or Naples, our catacombs are very small. Maybe the correct term should be Hypogea. But this is how they are known. These catacombs are underground burial places. In the St Paul's Catacombs there are eight types of graves; the Window type; the Canopied type (three types - the saddle-backed canopy; with burial troughs, troughless); the Arcosolium type; the Bench type, the Table type; the Floor type; the Cubicle type and finally the Loculi type (mostly used for children). The St Paul's Catacombs (named so because of their vicinity to the St Paul's Grotto) were hewn out of rock and have various layers. There are graves of couples, some for whole families and many for children. This seems to indicate that many children died when they were still very young. Some graves have a stone pillow, so that the head could rest comfortably. It was never dark here as oil lamps were left in the niches one sees on practically every corner. These oil lamps were left here day and night.

Typical of the Maltese Catacombs are the round stone tables known as Agape Tables. It is thought that on these tables was held the funereal repast. Agape is a Greek word and means brotherly love. Most graves here had a stone cover and in some places one can still see hinges where the doors stood. The St Paul's Catacombs are the largest on the Island.

St Agatha's Catacombs

These are just a few meters down the road from the St Paul's Catacombs. The St Agatha's Catacombs have beautiful frescoes and as one goes further in there is an altar. Of course one must remember that the earliest churches were built underground for fear of persecution. In our St Cathald's Catacombs one can also see an altar and the Agape tables, typical of the Maltese catacombs. In the St Agatha's Catacombs there is a most interesting museum upstairs, which one should endeavor to see.

In Rabat one can also see some beautiful shops and admire Malta's old handicrafts like Filigree making, Lace Making etc.

In Buskett, just outside Rabat, one can visit Clapham Junction. These are Cart Ruts, which were named Clapham Junction because they look like a Railway Station. A visit to Buskett Gardens would not go amiss. These gardens were the hunting grounds of the Order of St John. In Buskett is also Verdala Castle, which is not open to the public at the moment. Verdala Castle was built by the Grand Master Verdalle as his summer house. In winter one can also go to Chadwick Lakes; artificial lakes which fill with winter, when it rains. They were built by Lord Chadwick. The area fo the Chadwick Lakes is a beautiful, quiet, relaxing spot in Malta.