Malines (Ma-leen'), or Mechlin (Flem. Mech-elen), a city of Belgium, on the navigable Dyle, 14 miles SSE. of Antwerp. It has fine squares, noble buildings, and wide regular streets, but is devoid of all signs of life and industry. As the see of the primate of Belgium it still retains a certain degree of ecclesiastical importance, and possesses numerous churches, the most noteworthy of which is St Rombold's cathedral, a vast building, covering nearly two acres, its interior adorned with Van Dyck's ' Crucifixion' and many other fine pictures and carvings. It was mostly built in 1437-52, but its clock-tower, 324 feet high, remains unfinished. The churches of St John and of Our Lady contain works by Rubens ; the town-hall dates from the 15th century ; the Cloth Hall (1340) is now used as a guard-house; noteworthy also are the splendid modern archiepiscopal palace, the Beguinage, the Salm inn (1534), and the monument to Margaret of Austria (1849). The manufacture of pillow-lace, so famous in the 17th century, has been largely transferred to Brussels and elsewhere; but linen and woollen fabrics, beer, needles, etc. are made here. Pop. 57,000.