Xagħra (Ix-Xagħra)
- Maximus Nostramabus
- Jul 15, 2019
- 5 min read
Updated: 5 days ago
Second oldest standing structures on Earth - Megalithic Temples of Malta 132
What and Why
The Megalithic Temples of Malta (Maltese: It-Tempji Megalitiċi ta' Malta) are several prehistoric temples built during the period 3600 BCE to 700 BCE in various spots in Malta. They were the oldest free-standing structures on Earth until the discovery of Göbekli Tepe of Turkey (Turkish: Türkiye). Archaeologists believe that these megalithic complexes, nowhere else found in the world, are the result of local innovations in cultural evolution. These temples and monuments are highly valued as they demonstrate an extraordinary achievement in Neolithic engineering. Moreover the work also indicates that the builders belong to a highly organised agronomical society capable of quarrying, transporting, and erecting massive limestone blocks. To be totally honest I was in awe when I saw them and was even more impressed when I know that this achievements precedes the Egyptian pyramids by almost a millennium! How dare people questions the Egyptians moving big stone slabs when this was achieved equally more than a thousand years before!
There are more than a dozen of these distributed all over Malta, four of which are the most prominent: Ġgantija, Ħaġar Qim, Mnajdra (L-Imnajdra) and Tarxien which I visited. Each monument is different in plan and construction technique. There are some commonalities in the sense they are usually approached from an elliptical forecourt in front of a concave façade. The external walls are usually constructed in larger blocks set alternately face out and edge out, tying the wall securely into the rest of the building. The space between the external wall and the walls of the inner chambers is filled with stones and earth, binding the whole structure together.
Temple construction ceased around 2500 BCE. The reasons are still debated and may involve climate change, social transformation, resource pressures, or population shifts. What is clear is that the long tradition of megalithic temple building ended abruptly in prehistoric Malta around that period.
Toponymy
‘Xagħra’ means 'wilderness' in Maltese.
See
As mentioned, the monuments are distributed all over Malta, we shall visit from North to South.
Ġgantija
Meaning 'giantess' and pronounced as /dʒɡanˈtiːja/, Ġgantija is the earliest of all temples, dating back to 3600 BCE and is older than the Egyptian pyramids as blogged in Giza (الجيزة). The massive temple is built on a plateau on Gozo (Għawdex). The temples are elements of a ceremonial site on fertility. According to local folklore, a giantess who ate nothing but broad beans and honey bore a child from a normal man. With the child hanging from her shoulder, she built these temples and used them as places of worship, and hence the name.
Ġgantija is located in Xagħra (Ix-Xagħra). The name of the island Gozo means 'joy' in Castillian.
Archaeologists generally interpret the temples as ceremonial or ritual centre rather than ordinary dwellings. This is evidenced by the interior with its famed stacked niches or altars, as shown in the main picture above, although no conclusion could be made because of the lack of written records.
Ġgantija layout resembles what is considered once two chubby women side-by side, as plan shown above, again symbolising fertility.
The temples face the equinox sunrise and are built in the typical clover-leaf shape, as the plan above. As mentioned, the construction is hugely remarkable as during this period the wheel had not been invented yet. Transportation of the rocks relied on the use of ball bearings, which is more complicated.
Ħaġar Qim
Meaning 'standing worshipping stones' and pronounced as /ħadʒar ˈʔiːm/, and is as old as Ġgantija, Ħaġar Qim is built by soft globigerina limestone found around Malta and hence this temple suffers from extensive weathering. It is proposed that it was built during the same period with Ġgantija.
Panoramic view. I have to say when I saw it I found it much larger than Ġgantija, perhaps Ġgantija was more concealed by the modern construction while Ħaġar Qim was only covered by a large canopy.
Inner temple and its plan. The plan looks a bit like a cat's foot with fat paw pads with the elongated oval chambers clumping onto each other.
The temple’s facade is characterised by a trilithic entrance. Features of temple architecture reveal again associations with fertility rituals, together with solar alignments and a megalith which is thought to be phallic. The altar is supposed to be built for animal sacrifice.
The Ħaġar Qim complex consists of a main temple and three additional megalithic structures beside it.
Mnajdra
Just a few hundred metres away from Ħaġar Qim stands Mnajdra, which is made by harder coralline limestones. This temple is more astronomical in function and the important feature of this temple is the supreme accuracy in the solar alignment: The lowest temple is astronomically aligned and thus was probably used as an astronomical observation. During autumnal equinox sunlight passes through the main doorway and lights up the major axis. On the other hand, during solstices sunlight illuminates the edges of megaliths to the left and right of this doorway. The building itself also appears more regular than Ħaġar Qim.
The signboard below shows the solar alignment of these temples. Again I have always wondered how did they manage these constructions 3,000 years ago, with no precise instruments and even the concept of mathematics. Put it this way, i woud not know how to manage do achieve this precisely nowadays.
Tarxien
This temple site, dating back to 3200 BCE, is located in the city of Tarxien around 15 minute bus-ride from Valletta. Of particular interest at the temple site is the rich and intricate stonecrafts which includes depictions of domestic animals and agricultural practices. The name 'Tarxien' is likely to have derived or been corrupted from the word 'tirix' in Old Semitic, meaning 'boulder'.
Eat and Drink
Imqaret
A national pastry is the imqaret which is a rhombus or squared-shaped date-filled pastry, usually sold in street-stalls all over Malta. A bit too sweet, not my cup of tea.
Travel Suggestions and Logistics
Tarxien and Ħaġar Qim can be easily reached by bus from Valletta. To reach Ġgantija, one needs to take a bus from Valletta to the ferry pier at Ċirkewwa, then a ferry to Gozo, and from the ferry pier take two buses to arrive at the site, taking a full-day for this visit. The entry ticket for each site is EUR 12€. Due to the distances apart, we recommend allowing at least two or three days on Malta just to visit these sites. By the way Malta is literally year-round hot, especially all these sites are outdoors and one would be under the scorching sun.
Clearly this trip has to be combined with the previously blogged Valletta and Paola (Raħal Ġdid) for a full Malta itinerary.
UNESCO Inscription
Seven megalithic temples are found on the islands of Malta and Gozo, each the result of an individual development. The two temples of Ggantija on the island of Gozo are notable for their gigantic Bronze Age structures. On the island of Malta, the temples of Hagar Qin, Mnajdra and Tarxien are unique architectural masterpieces, given the limited resources available to their builders. The Ta'Hagrat and Skorba complexes show how the tradition of temple-building was handed down in Malta.
References
Comments
Please share your thoughts and comments about the blog. If you need suggestions to build a travel itinerary, please let me know. More than willing to help. I would also like to build a bespoke-in-depth travel community around UNESCO WHS and ICH.
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