Malta Temples

Enjoying the Best of Malta's Temples to the Mother Goddess

By Troy Herrick

February 2007

The Tree of Serenity stands gaurd near the Hagar Qim Temple on Malta.

The tiny Mediterranean country of Malta remains largely undiscovered by most North Americans. Five islands form the country and most of the population lives on the two largest ones named Malta and Gozo.

Maltese is an Arabic language with a strong Italian influence (Malta is 56 miles south of Sicily). Most residents of Malta also speak English as a second language. Maltese culture is European and most of the people are devoutly Roman Catholic.

Malta also has a rich and ancient history. The Temple Period, dating from 3600 to 2500 BC, is this country’s most enigmatic age. During this period, Malta’s residents erected a number of mysterious limestone structures that archeologists believe to be temples. These temples were used for over 1,100 years in the worship of a Mother Goddess.

With the end of the Temple Period, the builders vanished from history and the sites were abandoned. The builders kept no written records and no evidence of plague, famine, pestilence or war has been found.

Putting the timeline of history into perspective, the Temple Period of Malta began concurrently with the rise of the Sumerian civilization in present-day Iraq and 200 years before the rise of the Egyptian Civilization. The oldest Maltese temple (Ggantija) was constructed 1,000 years before the Great Pyramid in Egypt and Cleopatra is actually closer to us in time than she is to the Maltese temple builders.

All but one of the temples is located on the island of Malta. Often two temple sites on Malta are close together (any purpose to this is not known). The two principle pairs of interest are Hagar Qim – Mnajdra and Tarxien – Hal Saflieni Hypogeum. Tourists may visit these two temple pairs and Ggantija on Gozo as three leisurely daytrips from the capital, Valletta.

Ggantija means “giant” in Maltese. Long ago the locals believed that this temple was built by a race of giants. Only giants could have moved the large limestone slabs.

E Overlooking Filfa Island, Mnajdra Temple creates a dramatic landscape. ven today visitors can easily imagine this race of giants as they are dwarfed by the crudely cut gray limestone blocks found at Ggantija. Some of these megaliths are 53.8 feet in length and weigh over 50 tons.

Ggantija (circa 3600 BC) is generally accepted as being the oldest known free-standing structure in the world.

The oldest and largest of Ggantija’s two temple structures contains altars, relief carvings and libation holes (vessels used to hold liquid offerings such as blood or milk). The second temple is not as well-equipped as the first.

The inner walls of each temple are corbelled (imagine a partially constructed igloo), suggesting the presence of a roof at some time in the past. The roof was not made of limestone and therefore did not survive.

The presence of burn marks on the interior walls indicates that Ggantija was used as a crematorium in its later years.

Mnajdra (circa 3500 to 3100 BC) consists of three adjoining temples overlooking a forecourt. The remains of corbelled walls suggest the presence of a roof at some time in the past.

The temple on the right in particular (dating to 3150 BC) appears to have had a calendar-like function. This temple is aligned to the rising sun on both the spring and fall equinoxes. On these two days, light passes directly through the doorway to brighten the main axis of the temple.

On the summer and winter solstices, the rays of the sun line up with the left and right corners of the door jams respectively.

At Hagar Qim (circa 3000 BC), visitors see that the temple builders had become more skilled at squaring and fitting the honey brown limestone blocks together. Sections of the enclosing wall are fitted so tightly that a knife blade cannot be inserted between them.

The fertility theme is strong a Hagar Qim. A menhir (17 feet high) believed to be a phallic symbol and an altar depicting the lower portion of the Mother Goddess are both on site. Furthermore, several small figurines depicting the Mother G The temple of Ggantija stands strong under a dreary sky. oddess were also found but later moved to the National Museum of Archeology in Valletta.

Hagar Qim contains 5 crudely circular or oval rooms (apses) off of a central corridor. A visitor passing through this corridor feels as if he or she is entering the “womb” of the Mother Goddess.

The altars at Hagar Qim are more refined than those at other temples. Apparently the builders became more decorative over the years.

Visitors to Hagar Qim and Mnajdra should bring a picnic lunch and enjoy the scenic Mediterranean backdrop behind the two temples. Hagar Qim and Mnajdra (0.31 miles apart) are perched on a cliff overlooking the sea. The nearby waves are soothingly audible and tiny Filfa Island is visible in the distance.

Tarxien (circa 3100 BC) is in the town of Paola. Sections of Tarxien were reconstructed because some of the standing stones had been removed over the millennia.

Tarxien may have been a center for animal sacrifice to the Mother Goddess. Visitors find animal reliefs (bulls, a pig) and spiral designs set into several limestone blocks. The spiral figures suggest a belief in an afterlife - something that goes on forever and never fades.

The remains of a large stone pot (approximately 4.5 feet in diameter) conjure up images of animal sacrifice as well. The pot is a copy – the original resides in the National Museum of Archeology in Valletta.

Ironically Tarxien is now home to a number of ferile cats that have taken refuge here.

Several spherical rollers (20 inches in diameter) were found at Tarxien. These rollers may have been used to transport limestone megaliths from the quarry.

The Hal Saflieni Hypogeum (3600 to 2500 BC) is a short walk from Tarxien. In general, a “hypogeum” is an underground cavity hewn out of solid rock.

Scholars believe that the Hal Saflieni Hypogeum symbolizes the womb of the Mother Goddess. A vertical passage rises from the cavity to the external environment. At the winter solstice (Dec The entrance to the Tarxien Temple is surrounded by the spiral reliefs of eternal life. ember 21), the position of the sun is such that a shaft of sunlight enters and penetrates the Mother Goddess.

Archeologists found a small statue about the size of a fist (the “Sleeping Lady”) in the hypogeum. This statue inspired the Mother Goddess Theory behind the origin of Malta’s Temples. The original Sleeping Lady is in the National Museum of Archeology – a copy is housed at the Hal Saflieni Hypogeum.

The Hal Saflieni Hypogeum has three levels. The lowest level is over 34 feet below street level. A series of halls, chambers and passages forms an area of approximately 5,382 square feet inside the cavity.

The Oracle Room is particularly interesting. A priest would enter the room and chant. As he attempted to communicate with the Mother Goddess, the sounds would reverberate throughout the hypogeum.

The Hal Saflieni Hypogeum has also been called a temple of the dead as the remains of 7,000 people have been interred here. Spiral figures on the walls may be of significance here – perhaps the people expected to live forever in an afterlife.

Consider visiting the National Museum of Archeology in Valletta. This museum holds the many artifacts taken from temple sites throughout the country. Detailed descriptions of the artifacts, sites and the ancient culture place the Temple Period into perspective.

After visiting the temples of Malta you will gain a better appreciation of the profound impact that these ancient people had in the development of our civilization. The temple builders not only became highly skilled at quarrying and erecting limestone structures, they also developed a highly organized religion based on fertility.

If You Go

All of the temples may be visited by utilizing the inexpensive Maltese bus system (and the ferry to Gozo). Malta bus passes are not valid on Gozo or vice versa however.

Ggantija

Ggantija = pronounced “gigantia”
Admission: LM 1.50
Take bus #645 from Valletta to the Gozo ferry (20 minutes ferry ride one way). On Gozo, take bus #25 from the dock to the Victoria bus terminal. From the bus terminal, take bus #64 or 65 to Xaghra (pronounced “shaw raw”). Walk about 200 yards to Ggantija. Buses are coordinated with the ferry on both islands.

Mnajdra and Hagar Qim

Hagar Qim = pronounced “a jar reem”
Mnajdra = pronounced “im nigh draw”
Admission: Combination ticket to both sites – LM 3.00
Take bus #38 from the bus terminal at Valletta.

Tarxien and Hal Saflieni Hypogeum

Tarxien = pronounced “tar shen”
Admission: LM 1.0 (for Tarxien) and LM 4.0 (for the Hal Saflieni Hypogeum). There is no combination pass.
Only 80 people are admitted into the Hal Saflieni Hypogeum each day. Tourists wishing to visit the Hal Saflieni Hypogeum should reserve their tickets before leaving home (visit www.heritagemaltashop.com) as there is often a long waiting list. The price of admission includes a short film and a guided tour. Photography is not permitted.
Take bus #1, 2, 3, 4 or 6 from the bus terminal at Valletta and get off at the main square in Paola (Pjazza Paola). Follow the signs to each site.

**All Photos by Troy Herrick