The sheer number of archaeological sites here sets Malta's history apart from that of other Mediterranean destinations.  There are megalithic monuments, Bronze Age dolmens, Punic tombs, remains of Roman Villas and traces of prehistoric man which defy explanation, such as the mysterious ‘cart' tracks. For three millennia, from around 5200 B.C., the archipelago was home to a unique, temple-building civilisation. 

Malta and Gozo's temples are thought to be the oldest free-standing buildings known to man.  One site above all others is special to Malta – the Hypogeum, a labyrinth of underground chambers probably used as both a burial site and a temple. The Islands' temples are UNESCO World Heritage Sites and are open to the public except when undergoing repairs. 

Borg in-Nadur Temple, Birzebuggia.
BUSES. From Valletta 11, 13, 15.
tel: 21 221623
fax: 21 243629
Entrance Cost. Adults LM1; Under-19 and Over-65 FREE.

These temple ruins are situated in the rich archaeological southern area of Malta. They are important because they appear to reveal not only a four-apse temple (c.2000 B.C.), but also a fortified, Bronze-age domestic settlement. The remains of a large, defensive wall lie nearby.

The wall runs across the head of a promontory between two valleys leading down to St George's and Pretty Bay. Traces of the Bronze Age huts were discovered lying just behind the wall.

Ggantija Temples, Gozo.
BUSES. From Victoria 64, 65
Alda Xerri
Xaghra
Xaghra
tel: 21 553194
fax: 21 550107
george.azzopardi@gov.mt
Entrance Cost. Adults LM1; Under-19 and Over-65 FREE.

The Ggantija Temples (place of giants) are thought to be the oldest free-standing structures in the world. They are among the best-preserved temples on the Maltese Islands. They are certainly the most visited historical site on the Maltese Islands.

Excavated between 1816 and 1820, the complex comprises two Neolithic temples dating from the third millennium B.C (3600 to 3000 B.C.).

The temples are made up of two separate units enclosed by a wall and sharing a common facade. The concave walls of the temples suggest that the whole structure was once roofed. In both temples, the inner apses have niches with rudimentary altars.

The outer temple walls are impressive: the largest megaliths are round six by four metres and the wall may once have stood at a height of 16 metres. Traces of mortar indicate the temples were once plastered over.

The large forecourt suggests that congregations would have gathered outside to attend rituals, while the inner rooms of the temple may have been reserved for the shaman or priest. During the 1827 excavations, pottery, vases and statuettes were unearthed. These are now displayed in the archaeology museums in Victoria and Valletta.

Tarxien Temples. Tarxien, Paola Area.
BUSES. From Valletta 8, 11, 12, 13, 15, 26, 27, 29.
Entrance Cost. Adults LM1; Under-19 and Over-65 FREE.
Hector Seychell
Neolithic Temples Street
Tarxien
tel: 21 695578
fax:
info@heritagemalta.org

This unique complex lying today in the urban area of Tarxien dates from the third and fourth millennium B.C. This group of three temples was the last built on the Islands and is in a good state of preservation.

Tarxien temples are noted for the detail of their carvings. Stone idols and tablets, domestic animals carved in relief, altars and screens decorated with spiral designs and other patterns, oracular chambers and riches all enhanced these temples.

Originals of these artefacts, decorated megaliths and altars, as well as numerous pottery vases, are now housed for safekeeping in the National Museum of Archaeology.

The skilful construction of the Tarxien temples and the elaborate design and workmanship found here suggest that the temple builders had gained considerable expertise over the millennia since the first, or Ggantija, phase of megalithic construction.

The Tarxien site seems to have been used extensively for rituals, probably involving animal sacrifice. Two libation holes used for the offering of liquids are found near one altar, and animal bones were also discovered.

Of interest at Taxien is the clue to how the temples were constructed: stone rollers left outside the south temple were probably used for transporting the megaliths.

Remains of cremation have also been found here, which indicate the site was used by Bronze Age settlers too.

BUSES. From Valletta 47
Open by appointment only.
Mario Casha
Museum Square
Rabat
tel: 21 239375
fax: 21 234384
mario.casha@gov.mt
Ta ' Hagrat & Skorba Temples, Mgarr, west Malta.

The Skorba ruins and Ta' Hagrat Neolithic temple are two interesting archaeological sites near Mgarr. Both sites are perhaps more of interest to archaeologists or the informed visitor. They are not generally open to the public.

Skorba was excavated in 1966 by the eminent British archaeologist David Trump. Its importance lies in the material obtained during the dig which throws light on the pre-temple Neolithic period.

The site is believed to be that of a Bronze Age domestic dwelling. Stone bases of primitive huts were also found on the site. Skorba is the only place with signs of dwellings used by Neolithic and Bronze Age peoples. The key to the site is available at the National Museum of Archaeology.Ta' Hagrat Neolithic Temples were discovered in 1925.

It is the earliest standing temple building in Malta - its Gozo contemporary is the Ggantija temple complex. The group consists of two adjacent three-foil temples dating from around 3600 - 3300 B.C.

One of the temples has several steps in front of the trilithon entrance, a stone pavement and a stone bench at its façade. Pottery remains found here are older than the temple and seem to indicate a pre-temple settlement in the area.

BUSES. From Valletta 1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 8, 11, 12, 13, 15, 18, 19
CURRENTLY CLOSED until further notice.
Kordin III temples. Three Cities and Harbour Area.
The temples were built during the Ggantija Phase (3600 - 3000 B.C.) and are regarded as the best-preserved trefoil structures on the Islands. The site was used as a battery against the French blockaded in Valletta in 1798. During World War II, aerial bombing further damaged the site.