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3600BCc. 3600–2500 BC · Malta and Gozo

Malta's megalithic temples and the Hypogeum

The massive limestone megalithic walls of the Ġgantija temples on Gozo
Photo: Diego Delso. CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Malta's early farmers raised limestone temples with curved, lobed chambers and carved altars, among the oldest free-standing stone buildings known. They also cut the Ħal Saflieni Hypogeum, a three-level underground burial complex that held the remains of thousands of people. The temple culture ended around 2500 BC, and the reasons are still debated.

Sites

  1. Site 1: Ħal Saflieni Hypogeum, PaolaRock-cut chambers with red ochre spirals, seen in very small groups.Map ↗
  2. Site 2: Ġgantija, GozoTwo temples built from stones weighing several tonnes.Map ↗
  3. Site 3: Ħaġar Qim and MnajdraClifftop temples; Mnajdra is aligned on the equinox sunrise.Map ↗

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Also in Malta

More from the Prehistory

Read more: reference. Summary written by History-Tours.com.