The Hal-Salflieni Hypogeum in Malta is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and the only prehistoric underground temple in the world. It was originally a religious sanctuary and later became a necropolis, containing over 7,000 remains. The site has three levels, with the middle level being the most interesting and containing well-crafted stonework and a holy chamber with trilithons. The lower level is believed to have been used for storage. Visitors must book in advance due to limited daily capacity.
The Hal-Salflieni Hypogeum is an underground temple in Malta. It is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and has been since 1980. The Hal-Salflieni Hypogeum is the only prehistoric underground temple in the world and is an awe-inspiring place.
There are three main levels in the Hal-Salflieni Hypogeum. The upper level was excavated between 3600 and 3300 BC, the middle level was excavated between 3300 and 3000 BC, and the lower level was excavated between 3150 and 2500 BC At its deepest point, the Hypogeum of Hal-Salflieni reaches more than 30 feet (10 m) below the surface.
The Hal-Salflieni Hypogeum is thought to have originally served as a religious sanctuary, but was eventually transformed into a necropolis. Contains the remains of more than 7,000 people.
The Hal-Salflieni Hypogeum was discovered in the early 20th century by workers digging for a construction project by breaking through the roof of the structure. The site has since been extensively studied and is considered by most to be one of the world’s key prehistoric sites.
The first, and oldest, level of the Hal-Salflieni Hypogeum consists almost exclusively of tombs. It is basically one large passage, with individual burial chambers cut out along the way.
The middle level of the Hal-Salflieni Hypogeum is the most interesting and richest of the levels, and is where most people spend their time. The rock here is very well cut and displays incredibly finished stonework. The main chamber is a circle, painted with red ochre. It used to house beautiful figurines, but they have since been taken to the Valletta museum.
Another room, known as the Decorated Room, is also circular, with walls sloping inward. The great attraction of this room is the presence of a human hand thrust into the rock. The middle tier also contains a pit, referred to as a snake pit, which probably held snakes or was used as an alms-giving receptacle. The holiest of holies is also located on the middle tier and contains a number of trilithons similar to those found at Stonehenge or Mnajdra in Malta.
The lower level of the Hal-Salflieni Hypogeum is quite empty and many people think that it was used historically as a storage place. It does not appear to contain any human remains and no artifacts have been found.
When visiting the Hal-Salflieni Hypogeum, it’s hard not to be impressed by the work and craftsmanship that went into its construction. This becomes even more impressive, however, when one realizes that everything excavated here was done using nothing but flint and stone tools, as metal tools had not yet been invented. The sheer amount of manpower that must have gone into excavating and smoothing such an elaborate structure is truly astounding.
In order to prevent damage to the Hal-Salflieni Hypogeum, only eighty visitors are allowed per day. Consequently, it is imperative that potential visitors book in advance, either through the site’s website, by telephone or by mail.
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