Ggantija megalithic temples of Malta. Maltese megaliths

Temples of Commerce If modern South Korean society is a consumer society, then its temple, of course, is a department store. The department store is a French invention of the mid-19th century, and in Korea, the history of department stores began a hundred years ago, in 1906, when the Japanese

Although many people rightly associate Malta with the Knightly Order of the Hospitallers, I personally believe that they are not the only historical hallmark of the archipelago. Most people associate the phrase “ancient culture” with the Egyptian pyramids and the ruins of Greek temples, but in Malta there is an opportunity to closely get acquainted with the monuments, which, although they look more crude, are fundamentally different from the heritage of Egypt or ancient Hellas. In addition, these buildings are an order of magnitude older.

Although formally the word "temple" can be understood as any church - including the Catholic cathedral, of which there are a lot in Malta, but they do not determine the cultural identity of this dwarf state.

The structures that will be discussed today belong to the Neolithic period or, more simply, the Late Stone Age. There has always been enough stone in Malta due to its origin: the fact is that the archipelago actually consists entirely of limestone, since it was once a part of the seabed, on which the chitinous shells of dead mollusks settled, forming the rock. In light of this, it is not surprising that the Neolithic on the islands continued as far back as the 2nd millennium BC.

Island of Malta temples

The island of Malta is the largest in the Maltese archipelago, and it is there that most of the attractions are concentrated. Neolithic temples are no exception.

Hal Saflieni Temple

This building stands out among all the Neolithic monuments in Malta. The fact is that this sanctuary was not built of stone, but entirely cut out in limestone. At the same time, it was created in the period from the 5th to the 3rd millennium AD, so it is, perhaps, the most important long-term construction on the planet - where are the Czech Gothic cathedrals with their 600 years.

The sanctuary was opened quite by accident at the beginning of the 20th century, when the sewers were being built. It is a system of more than 30 mostly round and oval rooms located at three depth levels and interconnected. It was not possible to find out for certain the purpose of Khal-Saflieni: there are versions about its cult affiliation, but there is an opinion that this is an ancient burial ground, which expanded as it was filled.

The scale of the building is, of course, impressive, especially when combined with its antiquity. Personally, I never remember anything like it. By the way, in addition to the size, it is worth noting the elegance of execution, and many portals are decorated with, albeit primitive, decors.

Today, access for tourists is only open to the upper levels, and the entrance is through the building, under which Hal-Saflieni was discovered more than 100 years ago. There was no information in Russian, at least at the time of my visit (summer 2015), but if desired, you can find it after visiting the temple.

How to get to Hal Saflieni

How to get to the sanctuary from the bus stop is shown in the diagram below.

Khal-Saflieni working hours

But this is really important information. To get inside, it's not enough just to come to Paola and buy a ticket at the entrance. The visit is booked for a specific time in advance and it is best to do so. If you do not take care of your ticket in advance, you will have to go early in the morning to the Museum of Fine Arts in Valletta, where a number of tickets are sold on certain days.

At the same time, it is worth taking the queue at least an hour before the opening, since there may not be enough tickets for everyone, and I personally saw how people, having stood for a long time, were forced to leave with nothing. If you go this route, you will most likely have to skip breakfast at the hotel, and as a consolation, you can buy a ticket to the Museum of Fine Arts at a discounted price of 2 EUR.

How to get to the Museum of Fine Arts has been written.

The ticket price is:

• For adults - 35 EUR
• For children 12-17 years old and persons over 60 years old - 20 EUR
• For children 6-11 years old - 15 EUR

In this case, at the entrance you will be asked to hand over cameras and mobile phones. Taking pictures inside is strictly prohibited.

Temple of Hajar-Im (Hagar Qim)

This temple is the largest in terms of area. It is made of limestone slabs. Although processing technologies in the IV-III millennia BC. significantly inferior to the current ones, the details of the facade seem to be surprisingly geometrically correct. Of course, no solution was known at that time, so the structure is supported only by gravity.

How to get to the Hajar-Im temple

The temple is located very close to the bus stop Hagar No. 74 and 201.

Opening hours of the Hajar-Im temple

The temple is open daily from 9:00 to 18:00. From October 1 to March 31 - from 10:00 to 17:00. On December 24, 25 and 31, January 1 and on Good Friday, the temple is closed for visits.

The ticket price is:

• For adults - 10 EUR
• For children 12-17 years old and persons over 60 years old - 7.5 EUR
• For children 6-11 years old - 5.5 EUR
• Children under 6 years old - free admission

The ticket price also includes a visit to the Mnajdra Temple, which will be discussed below.

Mnajdra Temple

This object is located just 0.5 km from Hajar-Im, but is already made of harder, coral limestone. Although it is inferior in area to its neighbor, its layout is more correct. In fact, the sanctuary of Mnajdra consists of three temples standing close to each other - upper, middle and lower. They are not connected by transitions.

How to get to the Mnajdra temple

The temple is located very close to the Hajar-Im sanctuary, and most often they are visited together.

Opening hours of the Mnajdra temple

The temple is open daily from 9:00 to 18:00. From October 1 to March 31 - from 10:00 to 17:00. On December 24, 25 and 31, January 1 and on Good Friday, the temple is closed for visits.

To visit the temple, a single ticket is purchased, which also gives the right to visit the Hajar-Im temple. The prices are shown above.

Tarxien Temple

The temple acquired its name, as it was discovered in 1914 in the city of Tarshien (Tarshin). Like Mnajdra, it consists of three rooms, but already connected by passages. The highlight of the Tarshien temple is the numerous reliefs depicting animals, as well as spiral patterns. As archaeological excavations have shown, in ancient times, cattle sacrifices were most likely performed in the temple.

How to get to Tarshien temple

The temple is located near the Neolitici bus stop of buses No. 81, 82, 84, 85, 88, 206.

Opening hours of the Tarshien temple

The ticket price is:

• For adults - 6 EUR
• For children 6-11 years old - 3 EUR
• Children under 6 years old - free admission

Temple of Ta-Hajrat (Ta ’Ħaġrat)

This temple, located on the territory of the settlement of Mgarr, fully belongs to the IV millennium BC, that is, in fact, older than all those described above. True, it is inferior to them both in size and in the degree of preservation: when I saw it for the first time, it seemed to me like a heap of limestone slabs. On closer inspection, however, everything turned out to be not so sad.

How to get to Ta-Hajrat temple

The temple is located within walking distance from the Mgarr and Teatrali stops of buses No. 44, 101 and 238.

Opening hours of the Ta-Hajrat temple

The ticket price is:

• Adults - 3.5 EUR
• For children 6-11 years old - 2.5 EUR
• Children under 6 years old - free admission

Temple of Sorrow (Skorba)

It has survived, perhaps, worse than the rest of the popular tourist megalithic sanctuaries on the island of Malta. Since I am not a professional historian or archaeologist, I don’t think it is of any value. On the other hand, if you are already in Mgarr, you can visit both temples.

How to get to the Temple of Sorrow

The temple is 450 meters from the Ghajn bus stop for buses 44 and 101.

Opening hours of the Temple of Sorrow

The temple is open to the public on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays from 9:00 to 16:30. On December 24, 25 and 31, January 1 and on Good Friday, the temple is closed for visits. Moreover, since the territory of the complex is limited, no more than 15 visitors can be there at the same time.

The ticket price is:

• Adults - 3.5 EUR
• For children 12-17 years old and persons over 60 years old - 3 EUR
• For children 6-11 years old - 2.5 EUR
• Children under 6 years old - free admission

Other temples of the island of Malta

Above are those megalithic sanctuaries that have been best preserved and in many respects for this reason were included in the UNESCO World Heritage List. Apart from them, there are other monuments of the Neolithic culture on the island. Most of them do not have any infrastructure and are unlikely to be of interest to anyone other than professional archaeologists, but I will single out one.

Borġ in-Nadur temple

It is located near the town of Birzebbuja, very close to the Nadur bus stop for buses No. 80, 82, 119 and 210, as shown in the diagram below.

From the temple itself, only the foundation in the form of a trefoil has survived to this day, but nearby are the remains of stone fortifications from the Bronze Age.

Access to the territory is possible only by prior arrangement. You can do it

Temples of Gozo

Not only Malta can boast of Neolithic monuments. There are also temples of the late Stone Age on the second most important island of the archipelago. And if the temple of Santa Verna is just free-standing stones, then the other two objects are of much greater interest.

Ġgantija temple

This is the most famous megalithic monument on the island, which is also the oldest in the entire archipelago. It consists of two clover-shaped temples standing side by side, surrounded by an imposing wall of limestone monoliths.

How to get to the Jgantiya temple

The temple is 210 meters from the Dahla stop of bus number 307.

Opening hours of the Jgantiya temple

The temple is open daily from 9:00 to 18:00. From October 1 to March 31 - from 9:00 to 17:00. On December 24, 25 and 31, January 1 and on Good Friday, the temple is closed for visits.

The ticket price is:

• Adults - 9 EUR
• For children 12-17 years old and persons over 60 years old - 7 EUR
• For children 6-11 years old - 5 EUR
• Children under 6 years old - free admission

The ticket price also includes a visit to the Ta Kola mill, about which it is written.

In addition, during the summer period from 16.30 to 17.30 there is an opportunity to visit only Jgantia. In this case, the ticket price will be:

Stone circle in the Shaar (Xagħra Stone Circle, Broshtorff Circle)

This underground temple is located in the village of Shaara and, judging by the large number of bones found, served as a burial place. This makes it akin to the Hal-Saflieni sanctuary, although the temple in Shaar is inferior both in size and in the degree of preservation.

How to get to the stone circle

The circle is located next to the Tafla stop of bus number 307.

Object operation mode

At the moment, visits are possible only by prior arrangement. This can be done.

Malta and Gozo ruts (Cart ruts)

Since we are talking about Neolithic monuments, it is appropriate to mention another hallmark of the Maltese archipelago dating back to the late Stone Age - the ruts. The long grooves in the limestone rock, which is the basis of the archipelago, are indeed very reminiscent of wheel dents. Until now, their origin and purpose is a mystery. Someone claims that they were used to transport blocks from which temples were built, someone advocates that this is part of an ancient Maltese aqueduct, and some even attribute to the ruts of an alien origin, seriously claiming that extraterrestrial civilization through that bizarre the pattern that they form when removed from the air, sent an encrypted message to brothers in mind.

Conclusion

A trip to the islands of the Maltese archipelago became for me not only an immersion in the heyday of chivalry, but also a real excursion into the Stone Age. There is no such concentration of Neolithic monuments, probably anywhere else, and these are truly unique objects and the main mysteries of Malta. The tracks and temples of the archipelago will surely seem monotonous to someone - I fully admit it, but in this case I recommend visiting at least a couple of such objects, since there are few places in Europe that you can see something like that.

Among other merits to history, the Maltese archipelago is famous throughout the world for the fact that the most ancient man-made buildings on Earth are located here. These are megalithic temples.

A person who first encountered such prehistoric monuments involuntarily raises a number of questions: what kind of temples are these, how many there are, where are they located, for what purpose were they erected? Let's start with the basics, what is a megalith in general? In fact, this is any religious structure made of huge raw or semi-finished stone blocks, which include dolmens (a burial box covered with a massive flat slab), menhirs (free-standing stones) and cromlechs (circular fences). Maltese megaliths are cromlechs. The most famous cromlechs on the planet are Stonehenge (England) and Karnak (France, not to be confused with the Egyptian temple complex), but the Maltese buildings are older, in addition, they are distinguished by their "grouping" - more than twenty temple complexes are located in an area comparable to a small European city ...

What unites them? - material, design features (for example, the shape of the entrance), in many cases the architectural shape is similar, reminiscent of flower petals. Some temples are rather primitive, probably not all details have survived to this day, while others, on the contrary, have a special ornament and are decorated with carvings, for example, Tarshin. In principle, it has not been reliably established that these structures served precisely to worship, but you need to know the Maltese at least a little in order to understand that they will give everything to the last for the construction of the temple, even if they themselves remain in poverty. This tradition probably goes back to the days of the first settlers.

A separate point in the study of megaliths is the method of building temples. The fact is that all the structures were raised from boulders, the size of which reaches 8 meters in length and weighs tens of tons. It remains a mystery to this day how people of that era, who knew only primitive tools, could create whole complexes of buildings from such a large building material. However, many are inclined to believe that the legend is true, according to which the temples were built by another human race, giant people. Well, sometimes, looking at the majestic walls of the Maltese megaliths, you yourself are convinced that this hypothesis is not groundless.

However, there is a version that the ancient builders developed a whole technology. First, a hole was dug under the foundation of the temple with one vertical side and the other, the opposite, sloping. The pit was strengthened from the vertical side with logs. Then large stones were rolled up there on rollers, they were rolled onto an inclined plane and after that, with the help of primitive levers and winches, they were pulled into the pit. Laying the lump in the desired position was slow, centimeters by centimeters. But in the end, the stone fell as it should. After the foundation, people began to build the overground part of the temple, also with the help of winches and scaffolding.

The age of all structures dates back to the Neolithic and Chalcolithic eras (4000-2000 BC). The oldest surviving temples - Ggantija on the island of Gozo - was built approximately in 3600 BC, that is, about 1000 years earlier than the Egyptian pyramids. Ggantija is listed in the Guinness Book of Records as the oldest man-made structure on the planet. The rest of the temples of Malta, although less ancient, also have an enduring historical value. On the territory of many of them, unique antiquities, sculptures, paintings, etc. were found. Many of the finds adorn the display of the Maltese Museum of Archeology.

At the moment, in Malta, many megaliths are open to visit in almost all parts of the archipelago. Usually temples are united into complexes, that is, two or three structures are hidden behind one name. The most famous ones are:

Ggantija

3600 BC, 2 temples
Xaghra town, northeast of Gozo
Discovered in 1826.

Located on the island of Gozo near the town of Xaghra. They are about 5600 years old, this age has not been "beaten" by any other structure in the world, even the famous Egyptian pyramids, it is not without reason that Ggantija is included in the Guinness Book of Records. Built of such huge blocks of stone that more and more often it is suggested that the builders were not people at all, but some giants (hence the consonant name of the buildings), they (temples) form two courtyards, each of which has the shape of a trefoil. Two types of stone were used - soft tal-franca for interiors and hard tal-kuavvi for walls.
Its forms are symbolic - the trefoil meant fertility, the spiral meant life, the winding lines meant renewed life.

Mnajdra

3000-3500 BC, 2 large temples and 1 small
South of Malta
Discovered in 1840.

The ruins of the temple lie at the foot of the hill where Hajar Im is located. The trefoil shape is also observed here. The most impressive structure in the complex is the third temple, with its best-preserved façade and terrace, dating from 3150 - 2500 BC. The stonework shows an excellent knowledge of the building technique, and the concave shape of the walls supported by a bracket indicates the possibility of a domed structure such as a roof.
Another temple has a specific astronomical purpose. On the days of the Equinox, March 20th and September 22nd, the sun's rays pass directly through the main gate of the temple and illuminate the main axis. During the summer solstice (June 21st), the rays of the sun illuminate the edge of the megalith to the left of the main gate, connecting the first pair of rooms to the interior.
At the winter solstice (December 21st), the same effect can be seen on the corresponding megalith on the right.
On Friday, April 13, 2001, on the eve of Easter, the temples of Mnajdra were damaged by unknown vandals. About 60 boulders of the buildings were moved and broken.

Hagar Qim

2700 BC, more than 2 temples
South of Malta
Discovered in 1839.

This mega-stone temple complex is decorated with carved animals and idols, sacrificial altars and prophetic chambers, all made of obsidian and flint, without the use of any tool. Giant limestone slabs form a series of ovals placed at the top of the building, which some archaeologists compare in age to statues of the Mother Goddess. The views of the Mediterranean and the nearby island of Filfla are one of the best in Malta. Hajar Kim and its neighbor, the Mnajdra Temple, are located near the village of Krendi, about 15 km southwest of Valletta.
Several statues are on display at the National Archaeological Museum in Valletta.

Tarshin (Tarxien)

2100-2800 BC, 4 temples
City of the same name, northeast of Malta
Discovered in 1913.

The megaliths of Tarshin were discovered by peasants cultivating fields near the city of the same name. The peasants informed the then director of the Maltese Museums Sir Themistocles Zammit about their find - large blocks of cut stone. The southern temple is famous for its elaborate prehistoric bas-reliefs of pets and geometric shapes. On the wall between the South and Central Temples, carvings of two bulls and a sow with piglets, a symbol of fertility, were found. One of the Maltese goddesses of fertility also originates from here: in front of the temples, the lower part of a four-meter statue is installed, depicting a very obese female. Apparently, the temples of Tarshin were intensively used by ancient people for religious ceremonies - animal bones, a bowl for sacrificial blood carved in stone and a kind of flint knife, as well as a decorated altar found in the South Temple, testify to frequent sacrifices. After some time, the megaliths lost their importance as temples and in the Bronze Age began to be used mainly as a place of cremation and burial of people.

Sorrow (Skorba)

3000 BC, remains of several temples
Zebbiegh town, west of Malta
Discovered in the 1960s

The complex includes two temples. The remains of the temples indicate that their shape was also in the form of a trefoil. Sorrow was built on the site of an ancient settlement, and archaeologists have discovered many huts to the west of the temple. In one of these huts, 11 handmills made of coral limestone were found, dating from 3600 - 3200 BC. Slate and obsidian have also been found.

Ta "Hagrat"

3600-3000 BC, remains of two temples
Mgarr town, west of Malta
Discovered in 1923-37

It is located just a kilometer from the Skorba. As happened with many temples on the island, Ta-Hajrat was opened by accident. In 1916, residents noticed an unusual mound of stones. And the owner of this land even tried to use a few stones to build his house.
Behind the impressive gateway is a corridor flanked by huge columns of coral limestone (almost all temple complexes are made of this material), three on each side, on which stone slabs are installed as partitions. The corridor is paved with large stone blocks, laid with great precision. It leads to a central courtyard with three semicircular rooms. The walls of the apses show traces of cantilever masonry, indicating that the temple may have been covered with a roof.

Tal-Qadi

3000-3300 BC, remains of several temples
North of Malta, northwest of Burmarrad
Discovered in 1927

Tas-Silg

3000-3300 BC, the remains of one megalithic temple and some other buildings from various eras of antiquity.
East of Malta, near Marsaxlokk
Discovered 1963-72

The temple was constantly rebuilt by Phoenicians, Catholics, possibly Christians. On the east side, the wall is interrupted by a threshold block with 3 holes. In the western part there is a concave masonry, which can be the foundation of a building. These two features may indicate that the monument could have 2 entrances opposite each other. A statue of a "fat woman" was also found, deliberately mutilated and hidden in a depression under one of the façade blocks.
The complex is usually closed to the public, but permission to view the monument can be requested from the Malta Heritage Board of Culture.

Bugibba

Neolithic temple
North Malta, the city of Bugibba, is located on the territory of the New Dolmen
Discovered in 1928

Besides beautiful beaches and interesting excursions through cities, many tourists are attracted here by the biggest mystery of these islands - these are megalithic temples. They are called buildings of prehistoric age, some of which, the best preserved, are recognized as cultural heritage by UNESCO.

The megalithic temples of Malta were built starting from 5000 BC, and therefore serve as the basis for periodization ancient history the Maltese islands.

There are a lot of mysteries and questions around these structures, the main of which is who and how built these temples? They are huge in size, have stone blocks of incredible weight in their construction, and at the same time they were erected without the use of iron tools, and even more so without modern construction equipment. Therefore, the locals who lived nearby many centuries later did not believe that an ordinary person could build them. As a result, many legends about these temples appeared, including about the giant people who built them.

Notable is the fact that megalithic structures appeared on Malta much earlier than in mainland Europe, and also older than the Egyptian pyramids by at least 1000 years. They are considered to be the oldest surviving buildings on the planet.

Also, as a result of numerous studies, scientists have established a pattern: in the center of each megalithic complex there are burials, and around them at some distance temples are erected.

A total of 23 megalithic sanctuaries have been discovered in Malta. By our time, many of them are destroyed or dilapidated, but even the remnants are impressive in their gigantic size.

Today, only 4 temples remain in relative safety:

1. Ggantija Is a complex of two temples with different entrances, but a common back wall. It is considered the oldest megalith and is located in the center. The dilapidated facade of Ggantija reaches 6 m in height, its limestone blocks reach 5 m in length and 50 tons in weight. Therefore, during the construction, the principle of masonry was used - the stones are held due to their weight. Inside the structure were found places for hanging animals before sacrifice and an altar.
2. - the largest and best-preserved megalith, located near the village of Crandi - 15 km south-west of. It sits on a hill and overlooks the sea and Filfla Island. This is a complex of three temples, it stands out among the rest with figures of gods and animals carved on the walls, mysterious spirals. Around Hajar Qim, there is also a courtyard and a facade.
3. Is a complex of three temples, which, from a height, all together resemble a clover leaf. Mnajdra stands on a steep coastline, not far from Hajar Qim, stroking the same island of Filfa. Its peculiarity is that it is oriented towards the sunrise at the equinox and solstice. There were found statuettes, stone and clay, shells, various ornaments, ceramics, flint tools. And it is precisely the absence of iron tools that speaks of its Neolithic origin.
4. Tarsjen - the most complex and architecturally interesting megalithic structure in Malta, consists of 4 temples with numerous altars, altars, which indicates the deep religious beliefs of the ancient Maltese. The lower part of the stone statue of an ancient goddess at the entrance to one of the temples has survived to our times, which was taken to the museum, and a copy of it was left here.

Ggantija is located on the island of Gozo, on the outskirts of the city of Shara. You can get to this island by public transport, for example, by ferry from Chirkevva (buses No. 645, 45 go to Chirkevva), upon arrival - change to a bus going through the village of Nadur, where you need to get off. Then follow the signs, it will take 10 minutes from the stop to the temple.

To get to the Hajar Qvim temple, you need to take bus # 138 or # 38 from the airport and get off at the Hajar stop. From Hadraj Kvim you should walk less than a kilometer towards the coast to see the Mnajdra Temple.

Temple Tarsjen is located in the city, you can get to it from the central terminal of Valletta by buses number 29, 27, 13, 12, 11.

The cost of visiting temples varies from € 6 to € 10.

Reasons for the end ancient civilization in Malta remain a mystery to this day. But when asked why many temples were destroyed, there are several assumptions: climate change, land depletion, wars that were fought here, as well as the use of temple stones by the later local population in economic activities.

Research into megalithic temples continues. If you also want to touch the spirit of the ancient civilization in Malta, perhaps make your observations and just admire the amazing, orderly mystical, work of the ancient Maltese, take a trip to at least one of the temples. Perhaps it is for you that some secret will be revealed here.

The oldest man-made structures that raise many questions among scientists around the world are located in Malta. Religious sites older than the Egyptian pyramids have been listed since 1980 World heritage UNESCO.

Temples and catacombs, erected without cement mortar, were created using stone blocks, partially processed by man. Curiously, some of the slabs are over eight meters long and weigh about 50 tons. Therefore, it is not known how the islanders with primitive tools of labor created such a large-scale architectural ensemble. However, many are convinced that the incredible megalithic temples of Malta were not erected by representatives of the human race, and they were the ones who participated in the construction of Stonehenge in England.

Mysteries of Malta

It is hard to believe that many centuries ago there was a civilization in Malta, which experts still argue about to this day. Who were the discoverers who landed on the islands in the fifth century BC and built the megalithic temples of Malta? Unfortunately, the question that worries everyone remains unanswered, but the researchers are sure that these people have nothing in common with the modern inhabitants of the Mediterranean state. Archaeologists have found that the entire island is literally streaked with deep footprints that remain from riding on carriages or carts, but not a single wheel, not even a wooden one, has ever been found.

Different versions of the origin of the mysterious traces

Therefore, ufologists are talking about the extraterrestrial origin of the track, and many are sure that it was on the territory of Malta and all the depressions were left by the powerful titans. Mysterious footprints in some places even go under water, and they are hidden by a thick layer of silt and sand, but most of them disappeared under the built houses.

There is another version, according to which it was the islanders who transferred their accumulated knowledge to the most mysterious people in the world - the Sumerians, who made an invaluable contribution to the development of our civilization.

The oldest structures

Incredibly, the first inhabitants erected the gigantic megalithic temples of Malta a thousand years before the appearance of the famous pyramid of Cheops. Structures made of stone blocks, the shape of the entrance to which is similar to a blossoming flower, are cromlechs - circular compositions of vertically standing slabs.

If we talk about the sanctuaries, then it was clearly established that all the buildings were used for worship. A total of 23 temples have been found, none of which has come down to us in its original form. The main building material was coral limestone, and the local peasants often dismantled slabs for their own construction, turning well-preserved temples into real ruins. Only four structures can be seen relatively intact. True, they suffered the sad fate of poor-quality reconstruction, made to increase the tourist flow.

Megalithic temples of Malta: description, history

Each sanctuary of the state is characterized by its own era. Despite the construction of new ones, they continued to be used as burial places for people. The researchers found that all the buildings were erected according to the same principle: tombs were located in the center of the structure, and temples grew around the burial ground at some distance from it.

The oldest sanctuary of Ggantija

As a result of the conducted research, it was found that Ggantija is the most. The megalithic temples of Malta, created according to the same scheme, are designed in a single architectural style. The structure, found in the 19th century, has a common rear wall that connects the two temples with separate entrances.

Located on the island of Gozo in the Maltese archipelago, an important archaeological site was built a thousand years before the advent of the pharaohs in Egypt. The megalithic temple of Ggantija, shaped like a clover leaf, belongs to the cult of fertility, as evidenced by the found figurines at the excavations.

Construction features

Each of the temples has a slightly concave façade, and in front of each is a monumental platform of stone slabs. The site where the religious complex is located is surrounded by vertically standing boulders. Near the entrance, a slab was found with a strange depression filled with water and used for ritual ablution.

The mysterious megalithic sanctuaries of Malta, located close to each other, whose history worries all scientists of the world, are directed towards the southeast. It is believed that the South Temple, approximately six meters high, is the earliest and largest structure, including several semicircular parts (apses). Remnants of plaster were found that covered the uneven walls of the building. The altars with animal bones found inside the temples are evidence that sacrifices were made here.

Hajar Qim

Located 15 kilometers from the capital of Malta, the spacious temple, towering on a hill, consists of three sanctuaries, surrounded by a fence. The religious object, on top of which oval limestone slabs were found, is decorated with interesting ornaments, figurines of animals and idols made of silicon. Shaped like a clover, like other megalithic temples, Hajar Kvim reached descendants almost in its original form.

Mnajdra

Three temples of the religious ensemble Mnajdra are also well preserved. According to scientists, the sanctuary is oriented towards sunrise during the solstice and equinox. Archaeologists who have been working on the site for a long time have not found a single metal object, which indicates the Neolithic origin of the religious monument.

Tarshyen Temples

The whole complex, consisting of four megalithic objects, is recognized as the most complex of all the others. The poorly preserved temple still impresses tourists to this day. The unusual megalithic architecture of Malta amazes with the exceptional skill and talent of the architects who created the mysterious cromlechs, where all the details are carefully checked and thought out.

The design of the lower temple of the complex confirms the masters' awareness of astronomical phenomena: in September and March, the running sun's rays follow the same trajectory every year.

The lower part of the statue of the Maltese goddess is visible on the ruins - a pleated skirt and bare feet are visible. Scientists have found that the sculpture reached more than two and a half meters in height. Its original is now kept in the capital's museum, and an exact copy of the statue is installed in the sanctuary.

Nearby is a stone altar, lavishly decorated with spiral ornaments. The hole in it was tightly closed, and when archaeologists cleaned it of stones, they found animal bones and a ritual knife. In one of the objects, a huge bowl was found, carved from a stone slab. All this speaks about the whole complex of religious beliefs of the Maltese.

Khal-Saflieni Hypogeum

The mysterious megalithic temples and the underground sanctuary of Malta, carved into the rock, are considered the main prehistoric monuments of our planet. The Khal-Saflieni hypogeum, found at the beginning of the 20th century, was used as a religious site and a burial place.

The three-storey complex is an unusual example of underground architecture. The excavations in the cave have borne fruit - unique archaeological materials have been found. Remains of bones, ceramics, carved animal figurines, small figurines and even women's jewelry are turning our ideas about the life of the ancient islanders.

The underground kingdom, carved into the rock, covers an area of \u200b\u200b500 square meters. More than 30 rooms, chambers and niches differ in size and shape. The deepest room in the lower tier goes 10 meters into the earth. In the rooms on the middle level, the walls are so smooth that it seems like they are masonry.

Scientists are interested in the ornament made in all the halls of the Hypogeum. Spiral patterns most likely symbolize prosperity and continuation of life. More than 30 thousand human remains were found in the underground sanctuary, which can be called a necropolis. However, the excavation of the cave continues to this day, so scientists will delight with new finds.

Ar Dalam

Another kingdom invisible to the eye, where traces of human settlements on the islands were found, excites the minds of scientists who want to understand what an extensive network of tunnels is. According to one version, this is the underground city of the legendary Order of Malta, and according to the other, there is an ancient sewage system in the depths.

The fact is that there are underground labyrinths with secret passages built in Malta. And today the legend has found its confirmation when the workers found the entrance to the tunnel under the city square. It was not possible to pass through the underground corridors with high vaults, as they were all blocked. True, some historians in Malta believe that this is only part of the old water supply system.

Megalithic temples: the mystery of ancient Malta

Scientists are concerned about why there are no roofs. So much effort was spent on the construction of the megaliths, and none of the builders foresaw the possibility of solitude in the sanctuary, so that even bad weather would not interfere with human communication with deities. True, some researchers claim that there were roofs, but they collapsed over time.

The megalithic temples of Malta are a unique phenomenon, and there are no similar structures in the world. Behind a single wall are isolated rooms, and this isolation raises many questions. If people worshiped one deity, then why were the temples divided among themselves? And how many clergymen were there - one or several? Experts also argue about the religion of the ancient inhabitants of the state. What gods did they worship five thousand years before the birth of Christ?

The mystery of civilization

The discoverers of the island clearly distinguished their dwellings and the megalithic temples of Malta, making their homes from fragile materials and erecting cromlechs for eternity. In 2300 BC, a mysterious civilization disappears without a trace, and there is no evidence that it died as a result of some kind of catastrophe. After the studies of the remains from the necropolises, no signs of epidemics were found.

Where did the first builders on Earth go, and why they did not show their remarkable talent, remains one of the main mysteries of civilization.

For those who are going to Malta, it is worth knowing that excursions to the cromlechs are ordered a month before the trip. No more than 80 people are allowed to visit the oldest temples, and in the high tourist season the queues stretch for several months. The approximate cost of the excursion per person is $ 120.

There are museums with elements of interactivity near religious buildings, where you can see all the unusual finds made by archaeologists, get acquainted with the models of megaliths and learn a lot of interesting things about the ancient structures of our planet.