Temples of Mnajdra and Hagar Qim - Malta

Mnajdra - Photo: web

Hagar Qim

The temple, Hagar Qim is composed of several circular rooms, with altars and some ornamental elements (they are copies, the originals are in the Archaeological Museum of Valletta), gigantic monoliths were used for the construction,

Observing from the square in front, the megalithic structures of Menahydra, it can be seen that it consists of three distinct buildings. The first and oldest nucleus is the minor one - consisting of three apses - visible on the right of the site and dating back to 3600-3200 BC (phase Gigantia). The south temple, on the left, with its concave facade, was the second to be built in the first phase Tarxien, shortly followed by the central temple, erected on an artificial plateau between the two previous structures.

Mnajdra

The southern temple of Mnajdra was built so that the entrance was aligned with the sun rays of dawn during the spring and autumn equinoxes (March 20 and September 22). On the occasion of the winter and summer solstices (21 December and 21 June) the sun's rays pass through the entrance hitting two specific decorated megaliths. The trilithic entrance of the south temple leads to two apses: in the one on the left there is a further passage decorated with a pitted motif (a similar technique was used in the upper chambers); the apse on the right has an additional horizontal course of blocks resting on megaliths attributable to a possible roof.

The central temple is based on an artificial platform and has a plant similar to the southern one; on the opposite side from the entrance there is a niche with an altar while along the wall of the left apse there is a passage that leads to an additional room, also equipped with a covered altar.

The Temples are part of the multi-serial UNESCO site "Megalithic Temples of Malta (1980/1992)"

Short description: Seven megalithic temples are found on the islands of Malta and Gozo, each the fruit of individual development. The two temples of Ggantija on the island of Gozo are notable for their gigantic Bronze 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 temple-building tradition has been handed down in Malta.

Well entered in the register: National Inventory of Cultural Heritage of the Maltese Islands - National Inventory of Cultural Property of the Maltese Islands (NICPMI) ID: 24 and 25