Ġgantija Temples - Megalithic Temples of Malta
Xagħra, Gozo, Malta
30.12.2023
The Ġgantija Temples - A Fascinating World Heritage Site in Xagħra, Gozo, Malta
The Ġgantija Temples are a unique and impressive archaeological site located in the village of Xagħra on the island of Gozo, in the Mediterranean archipelago of Malta. The site is famous for its two massive temple structures, which are believed to be some of the oldest freestanding structures in the world, dating back to 3600-3200 BCE. These temples are also among the oldest religious structures in the world, older than the Stonehenge in England and the Pyramids of Giza in Egypt.
The temples were first discovered in the late 18th century, but it wasn't until the early 20th century that they were properly excavated and studied. The temples were built by the Neolithic inhabitants of the island, who were skilled in megalithic construction techniques. The name "Ġgantija" is derived from the Maltese word for "giant", as it was believed that only giants could have built such massive structures.
The temples are made up of huge limestone blocks, some weighing over 50 tons, which were quarried from the nearby hills. The construction of the temples is a true marvel, as the builders had to transport and stack these massive blocks without the use of any modern tools or machinery. The temples were used for religious and ritual purposes, and it is believed that they were dedicated to a fertility goddess.
Aside from their impressive size and construction, the temples also feature intricate carvings and decorations, such as spiral patterns and animal figures. These carvings provide valuable insights into the beliefs and customs of the Neolithic people who built them.
The Ġgantija Temples were inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1980, and they continue to attract visitors from all over the world. They are not only a testament to the advanced skills of the Neolithic people, but also a reminder of the rich cultural heritage of the island of Gozo and the entire Maltese archipelago.
Weiterführende Links:
- The island of Gozo - home to the Ġgantija Temples https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gozo
- The Neolithic Era - the time period in which the temples were built https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Neolithic
- The UNESCO World Heritage Site - information about the Ġgantija Temples' inscription https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/UNESCO_World_Heritage_Site
Seven megalithic temples are found on the islands of Malta and Gozo, each the result of an individual development. The two temples of Ggantija on the island of Gozo are notable for their gigantic Bronze Age structures. On the island of Malta, 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.
Ġgantija (Maltese pronunciation: [dʒɡanˈtiːja], "place of giants") is a megalithic temple complex from the Neolithic era (c. 3600–2500 BC), on the Mediterranean island of Gozo in Malta. The Ġgantija temples are the earliest of the Megalithic Temples of Malta and are older than the pyramids of Egypt. Their makers erected the two Ġgantija temples during the Neolithic, which makes these temples more than 5,500 years old and the world's second oldest existing manmade religious structures after Göbekli Tepe in present-day Turkey. Together with other similar structures, these have been designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site, the Megalithic Temples of Malta.
The temples are elements of a ceremonial site used in a fertility rite. Researchers have found that the numerous figurines and statues found on the site are associated with that cult. According to local Gozitan folklore, a giantess who ate nothing but fava beans and honey bore a child from a man of the common people. With the child hanging from her shoulder, she built these temples and used them as places of worship.
The Megalithic Temples of Malta (Maltese: It-Tempji Megalitiċi ta' Malta) are several prehistoric temples, some of which are UNESCO World Heritage Sites, built during three distinct periods approximately between 3600 BC and 2500 BC on the island country of Malta. They had been claimed as the oldest free-standing structures on Earth until the discovery of Göbekli Tepe in Turkey. Archaeologists believe that these megalithic complexes are the result of local innovations in a process of cultural evolution. This led to the building of several temples of the Ġgantija phase (3600–3000 BC), culminating in the large Tarxien temple complex, which remained in use until 2500 BC. After this date, the temple-building culture disappeared.
The Ġgantija temples were listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1980. In 1992, the UNESCO Committee further extended the existing listing to include five other megalithic temple sites. These are Ħaġar Qim (in Qrendi), Mnajdra (in Qrendi), Ta' Ħaġrat Temples (in Mġarr), Skorba Temples (in Żebbiegħ) and Tarxien Temples (in Tarxien). Nowadays, the sites are managed by Heritage Malta, while ownership of the surrounding lands varies from site to site. Apart from these, there are other megalithic temples in Malta which are not included in the UNESCO World Heritage list.
