The Megalithic Temples of Malta, a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1980, consist of seven temples dating back to 3700 BC. The oldest, Ggantija, is on the island of Gozo and is the oldest free-standing temple in the world. Hagar Qim, Mnajdra, Skorba, Ta Hagrat, and the Tarxien Temples are also part of the site. The Tarxien Temples are the most complex and contain carvings of spirals, patterns, and animals. A visit to these temples is a must when in Malta.
The Megalithic Temples of Malta are a group of five ancient temples in Malta. They are a UNESCO World Heritage Site and have been since 1980. Originally, the site contained only two temples, but the designation was extended in 1992 to include seven total temples.
The Temples of Malta span a wide range of eras, with the oldest dating back to 3700 BC The temples are: Ggantija, on the island of Gozo, Hagar Qim, Mnajdra, Skorba, Ta Hagrat and the Tarxien Temples.
The Ggantija Temples date back to the mid-4th millennium BC and are the oldest free-standing temples in the world. They are located in Xaghra on the island of Gozo in Malta. Their name, Ggantija, is the Maltese word for giant and reflects a legend that temples were created by giants. When you see the size of the stones used in these temples, it’s no surprise that for centuries, people have believed in them.
Hagar Qim, like other temples in Malta, dates back to the mid-4th millennium BC It is located on the small islet of Filfla, built on a hill overlooking the sea. Hagar Qim itself is only a single temple, but there are a number of other ruins adjacent to it. Hagar Qim is perhaps best known for the artifacts that have been discovered there, especially the so-called statues of fat women that are displayed in the National Museum of Archeology and a large ornately decorated pillared altar.
Mnajdra is located on the southern coast of Malta, nestled into the cliff. It contains three distinct temples and many people consider it the most photogenic of Malta’s megalithic temples, because it is in a very remote location overlooking the islet of Filfla, on which Hagar Qim sits. The Mnajdra temples range in age from the mid-4th millennium BC to the mid-3rd millennium BC, spanning nearly a thousand years between them. The masonry of Mnajdra is generally considered to be the most skilled of Malta’s temples, and the lowest temple in the complex is aligned so that the sun passes through intentionally placed architectural environments during the spring and autumn equinoxes.
Skorba is made up of two distinct temples and, unlike the other temples in Malta, was not excavated until quite recently. People had inhabited the site of Skorba since the early 5th millennium BC, but temples were not built until the 5th millennium BC
Ta Hagrat consists of two temples and are among the first temples in Malta to have been built. The largest of the temples was built in the first half of the 4th millennium, and the second was built several centuries later. An abundance of pottery has been discovered at Ta Hagrat, making it probable that it was a village before being the site of temples.
The Tarxien Temples are by far the most complex of Malta’s Temples, and also among the youngest. The last of the four temples dates from about 2500 BC and contains large quantities of carvings, both in relief on the walls and in the altars. These sculptures depict spirals, patterns and animals. The Tarxien Temples are particularly interesting, because the builders seem to have left behind some of their tools, giving us an idea of how they built these huge stone buildings.
No visit to Malta is complete without a trip to at least one of Malta’s megalithic temples, and ideally a chronological tour of all seven sites can be scheduled. Malta is rich in megalithic sites, but these temples offer a remarkable glimpse into the size and skill of the ancient inhabitants.
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