Hagar Qim and Mnajdra Temples
These temples may be found in Qrendi, on the west side of the island. It is not far from Valetta, just a 30-minute walk away, and it's an excellent alternative if we have a number of days in Malta. Visitors may spend a few hours learning something new while also visiting a Unesco World Heritage Site and taking in the breathtaking scenery.
With an unequaled location on top of sea cliffs, the megalithic temples of Hagar Qim and Mnajdra are the best-preserved and most evocative of Malta's prehistoric ruins. To protect the temples from the impacts of the weather, permanent tent-like canopies have been built over them.
There is a hands-on visitors center that explains the history of the constructions, a kids' section where youngsters can build a temple out of blocks, and an evocative but not particularly instructive 4D video introduction. After passing through the visitors' center, visitors come to Hagar Qim Temple, which is the first temple tourists see. The facade has been repaired, and the trilithon entrance (two upright stones with a third over the top as a lintel) offers an indication of what it would have looked like in the past. The temples were formerly covered with roofs, most likely corbelled stone vaults, but these have since crumbled. Before entering, you will see the largest megalith in the temple, weighing more than 20 tons. The temple is made up of a succession of circular, interconnecting chambers that aren't connected in any way. A modest altar with plant themes can be found in the first compartment on the left, and other altars can be found in the second compartment. The National Museum of Archaeology in Valletta has the 'fat lady' statuettes and the 'Venus de Malta' figure that were discovered here.
Mnajdra Temple, located 700 meters downhill from Hagar Qim Temple, was constructed in a more complex manner, consisting of three nearby temples, each with a triangle layout and facing in a different direction. The oldest temple is the little one on the right, which is aligned with Filfla Island to the southwest. The smallest temple is the center one, which faces southeast. All of the artifacts date from 3600 to 3000 BC. During the summer, Malta Heritage offers special guided visits to the Hagar Qim and Mnajdra Temple to learn more about these connections.
There are several signposted nature paths in the region surrounding the temples that provide breathtaking views of the sea. A 17th-century watchtower and a memorial to Sir Walter Congreve (Governor of Malta 1924–27), who was buried at sea off this point, are located on the cliff in the southeastern portion Mnajdra. To get to Gar Lapsi, go west along the rocks. Filfla, 5 kilometers distant, visitors may easily see the deserted island.
