Dominican Priory, Rabat
Filmed as Istanbul courtroom (played by the priory cloister)
📍 Church of St Dominic and Our Lady of the Grotto and Dominican priory, Triq il-Kulleġġ, Rabat, Rabat, Malta
Scene breakdown
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Istanbul courtroom (played by the priory cloister)
1978 Mild spoilersBilly is tried for hashish smuggling while his father watches, and receives a four-year sentence.
Billy Hayes Mr. HayesSpoilers for Midnight Express are hidden — tap to reveal, or change it under Spoilers in the menu.
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Istanbul courtroom, the resentencing
1978 Major spoilersBrought back before the court just weeks from release, Billy is given a far longer sentence and lashes out at the judges.
Billy HayesSpoilers for Midnight Express are hidden — tap to reveal, or change it under Spoilers in the menu.
Real-world history
The Dominicans settled in Rabat in about 1450 and built a church over the grotto shrine of Our Lady. The present church and priory, with its arcaded cloister and sundials, date mainly from rebuilding in the 17th century.
Logistics & accessibility
Admission: The church is a working shrine, generally open around service times; the cloister belongs to the friars, so ask at the priory and respect services. Opening times are not published reliably, so check locally.
Parking & accessibility: Street parking in Rabat; buses from Valletta stop in Rabat, about a 10 minute walk away.
Best time to visit: Weekday mornings outside mass times; pair it with Mdina and St Paul's Catacombs.
What else to see here
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Mdina Gate
The way into Malta's walled old capital.
Gate
15 min walk