Melite (Greek: Μελίτη, Melítē) or Melita was an ancient city located on the site of present-day Mdina and Rabat, Malta.
It started out as a Bronze Age settlement, which developed into a city called Maleth under the Phoenicians, and became the administrative centre of the island.
The city fell to the Roman Republic in 218 BC, and it remained part of the Roman and later the Byzantine Empire until 870 AD, when it was captured and destroyed by the Aghlabids.
The city was then rebuilt and renamed Medina, giving rise to the present name Mdina.
It remained Malta's capital city until 1530.

Only a few vestiges of the Punic-Roman city have survived.
The most substantial are the ruins of the Domus Romana, in which a number of well-preserved mosaics and statues have been found.
Sparse remains of other buildings and parts of the city walls have been excavated, but no visible remains of the city's numerous temples, churches and other public buildings survive.
Melite (Greek: Μελίτη, Melítē) or Melita was an ancient city located on the site of present-day Mdina and Rabat, Malta. It started out as a Bronze Age settlement, which developed into a city called Maleth under the Phoenicians, and became the administrative centre of the island. The city fell to the Roman Republic in 218 BC, and it remained part of the Roman and later the Byzantine Empire until 870 AD, when it was captured and destroyed by the Aghlabids. The city was then rebuilt and renamed Medina, giving rise to the present name Mdina. It remained Malta's capital city until 1530.
Only a few vestiges of the Punic-Roman city have survived. The most substantial are the ruins of the Domus Romana, in which a number of well-preserved mosaics and statues have been found. Sparse remains of other buildings and parts of the city walls have been excavated, but no visible remains of the city's numerous temples, churches and other public buildings survive.
Melite (ancient city)