Photo. © Travel Explorations.
The temples are on the prestigious World Heritage Sites list, but only few people know something about them. There are few sources explaining the history the history and significance of the sites.
Malta and Gozo are covered by ancient wonders and mysteries. The main temples on the Maltese islands are Hagar Qim, Mnajdra, Skorba, The Hypogeum, Tarxien, Xaghra and Ggantija. The last mention temple is believed to be the oldest temple on the Maltese island. It`s also the largest among the Maltese temples. Another amazing construction is the mysterious cart ruts. Some people believe this big mystery is connected to the temples.
Seven megalithic temples are found on the islands of Malta and Gozo. They are definitely one of the worlds most impressive prehistoric monuments. The first temples were notified by UNESCO in 1980. According to UNESCO, based on information on the organisations website, each of them is constructed individually.
On a hot sunny day in May 2007 I entered the historical site where the large Ggantija Temples are located. It was an impressing sight viewing the two temples from different angels. The two temples of Ggantija on the island of Gozo are notable for their gigantic Bronze Age structures. I could understand that it was a master of engineering. How could people for over 5000 year ago be able to transport and construct such amazing monuments?
Since the temples were built 1000 years before the Pyramids, and are the oldest stone buildings in the world, I also wondered where the builders took their inspiration from.
The Ggantija Temples have a concave facade and the temple-builders built a platform outside for the people. They laid big stones and then it was covered with crushed earth (torba).
These temples are dated between 3600 - 3000 BC. They are situated on the northern side of the hilly plateau known as ix-Xaghra in Gozo. The name of the temples means giantess due to the big size, but I also wonder whether they were built by giants? The walls stand-- over 6 metres high, and the two temples together span over 40 metres.
The largest of the stones measures from 4 metres by 6 metres and weighs around 57 tonnes. Its believed that the original wall has been around 16 metres tall. The temples are turned towards southeast, and have five semicircular niches within.
From the temples there is also a beautiful view towards of the Southern part of Gozo, and over to Comino and Malta.
On the island of Malta, as UNESCO considers it, the temples of Hagar Qim, 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.
In 1992 the UNESCO Committee decided to extend the existing cultural property, the Temple of Ggantija, to include the five prehistoric temples situated on the islands of Malta and Gozo. The organisation renamed the property as The Megalithic Temples of Malta.
One thing is the historical date when the temples were build, and the size of the temples, another thing their amazing constructions. Many consider the temples of Ggantij as the most impressing of all the Maltese temples. I find all the temples I have seen so far impressing. They all are unique in different ways, and are traces of great achievements from the past.
Travelling around the world admiring ancient monuments reminds me continuously about our forth fathers brilliant engineering work. I am really convinced that people in prehistoric time had knowledge we dont have today, and which probably could be useful for us in many ways in the modern society.
Step by step, piece by piece, the prehistoric temples are now a days thoroughly explored. As a puzzle, archaeologists study the architecture, stratification, ceramics, artistic objects, and do more dating. Wonderful statuettes, pottery and other material are excavated from the historical sites. Will it be a real breakthrough in revealing the temples mysteries? Will it be any unexpected discoveries?
Many of the giant monoliths of the temples have stone balls buried under them, so some people believe that the mysterious tracks on the islands, called the cart ruts, were shaped for stone balls. These stone balls were used in the traces to transport the enormous slabs of stones. But this theory doesnt make any sense for me. The temples are located far from the cart ruts, both on Malta and Gozo, and as far I can see there is no connection.
Why is Malta so covered with so many mysterious traces from the oldest past? Malta has always stood at the crossroads of the Mediterranean. People crossed the ocean from different directions stopped on the Maltese islands on their way, and left amazing traces.
Stein Morten Lund, 28 May 2007
Additional information
UNESCO has designated the main Megalithic Temples of Malta as World Heritage sites. For more information about the temples on UNESCOs website: http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/132
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