Private: Full Day Jewish Highlights With Cemeteries And The City Of Mdina

Private: Full Day Jewish Highlights With Cemeteries And The City Of Mdina Photo #1 of 2 Photo copyright ShoreTrips.com.

Overview

A fascinating exploration of Malta with an emphasis on Jewish influences and history.

The most illustrious period of the Jewish timeline in Malta is during the Middle Ages. You'll discover how Jews lived side by side with Christians and the many activities they shared. Today, a small but vibrant community of under just 200 Jews live in Malta, having their own Synagogue and Rabbis.

This wonderful day begins in the Village of Rabat. During their 200 years of rule, the Arabs divided the old Roman city of Melita in two. The Citadel became known as Mdina and the rest as Rabat. It is in Rabat that we find St. Paul's Church and Grotto and St. Paul's Catacombs. Among the Catacombs, a fascinating labyrinth of subterranean tombs dating from the 3rd century AD, you'll find Christian and Pagan as well as Jewish tombs, as evidenced by drawings of menorahs found on several of them.

In Rabat's village square, you'll sample a delectable array of Maltese sweets, while a little further down the road brings you to Malta's famous pastizzi, Malta's all-time favorite hand-held snack. Enjoy one of these irresistible, savory phyllo pockets filled with either ricotta cheese or mushy peas, produced by the best pastizzi maker in all of Malta.

The attraction of Mdina, the Medieval City and original capital of Malta, is unmistakable. You will fall in love with its range of architecture with Norman and Arabic features. Game of Thrones fans will recognize the main gates as the entrance to King's Landing. Once inside the city, your guide will inform you about the bustling Jewish culture that thrived here during the Middle Ages, when Jews represented one-third of the population. Still evident are street signs indicating the Jewish Silk Market and the Jewish Gate. The Jewish people prospered during this time, owning agricultural lands and working as merchants. In 1492, all Jews were forced to leave Malta when the island came under Argonese rule and the Edict of Expulsion was enacted.

You'll visit the Marsa Jewish Cemetery, established in 1879. The first readable graves from 1887 lie side-by side with those of Jews who escaped from concentration camps from Budapest, Tunis and Oran and provide a rich narrative of Malta's Jewish history. Learn about the prominent families of the last 100 years with a focus on the Tayar and Ohayon families.

Malta is famous for "The Three Cities", which lie across the Grand Harbor. The modern names of the cities are Vittoriosa, Cospicua and Senglea. Your guide will relate the fascinating history of each of them.

Lastly, you'll visit one more Jewish cemetery, the moving Kalkara Jewish "Slave" Cemetery, the earliest surviving Jewish burial ground on the island. The cemetery measures a tiny 30 feet by 40 feet with its origins recorded in a Latin inscription over the door that reads "This cemetery was established in 1784 by the Leghorn fund for ransoming Hebrew slaves, at its own expenses, for the burial of the dead of its race."

- Entry fees to attractions indicated on itinerary are included in the tour cost.

- This tour is accessible to those with collapsible wheelchairs and walkers. While the city of Mdina is quite flat, there are steps in the catacombs.
- Gratuities to your guide are not included in the price of the tour.

Days offered: 7 days a week

Departures:

• 09:30 AM, duration: 6.5 hours