Hagar Qim and Mnajdra Ancient Temples (Part 2)

Mnajdra Ancient Temple   

Model of the Mnajdra ruins   

About 500m away from the Hagar Quim temple are the ruins of the Mnajdra temple. It consists of three buildings facing a common oval forecourt. The first and oldest structure dates from 3600 – 3200BC. The second structure to be built was the South Temple, constructed between 3150BC and 2500BC. The Central Temple, inserted between the other two, was the last to be built. Ruins to the northeast and south of these buildings indicate that these three structures are only the best preserved of a much larger complex.

The South Temple at Mnajdra is aligned to mark the position of sunrise on the first day of each season; the Spring and Autumn Equinoxes and the Summer and Winter Solstices. There is also a theory that the alignment coincided instead (or, perhaps, as well) with a prominent cluster of stars, which may be indicated by some similar patterned markings on the rocks.

Decorated South Temple doorway   

The Mnajdra temple is much more decorated than Hagar Quim. This doorway in particular is decorated with lots of small drill holes. The outside of the Mnajdra temple was also constructed from the harder Coralline limestone; perhaps the builders recognise that it resisted the weather better than the Globigerina limestone used for the Hagar Qim temple.

It was hard for us to see them because of where we were allowed to walk, but hidden in the walls of the temples are numerous passageways and holes. The most plausible explanation for these is that statues of the gods and goddesses were placed in front of the holes and the priests could speak their oracles through the holes. The statues would therefore appear to be speaking to the worshippers.

In the East Temple two upright stones have several irregular lines of drilled holes in them. These have been the focus of many studies and theories on their possible meaning. One theory is that they represent a crude calendar or perhaps a counting system.

It is believed that worshippers also came to seek healing because a number of baked clay models of human parts showing symptoms of disease have been uncovered here.

We walked back to the visitors’ centre to watch the multimedia show – billed as a 4D presentation. As well as being filmed in 3D (hence the zany yellow glasses) water mist was sprayed on the audience and fine dust scattered to simulate the passage of millennia.

The displays outside the theatre were also very informative. Just as at the Hal Saflieni Hypogeum, clay human figures of various sizes had been found at these temples. The figures are obese; hence the unofficial name: the “fat ladies statues”. However, it is not really known who they were supposed to represent or, indeed, if they were male, female or non-gender representations. The heads of most are missing but a few have sockets where separate heads could have been attached. It is assumed that these statues were used in temple rituals but it is likely that we will never know their true meaning or use.

The excavations here, as the Hal Saflieni Hypogeum, have probably prompted more questions than answers about this ancient civilisation but for us, visiting both sites on the same day, we got our first real insight into this pre-history age on Malta.

After a busy day of sight-seeing it was time to return to BV; it would be Ollie and Sheena’s last night on board and we had a dinner planned for the 6 of us, including Barry and Catherine.   

Malta