14468

Malta: Day 6: Rabat, Ħaġar Qim and Mnajdra

Did you know that the remains of the megalithic temples that Malta is known for are the oldest free-standing stone structures in the world, older than Stonehenge and the pyramids of Egypt? We didn't so after we visited the catacombs of St. Agatha in Rabat we decided to visit 2 temples, Ħaġar Qim and Mnajdra.

Previous days of our trip to Malta: Day 5, Day 4, Day 3,  Day 2 and Day 1.

 

The name of the town Rabat is derived from the Arabic word for 'suburb': الرباط, as it was the suburb of the old capital Mdina.

 

The Collegiate church of St Paul is built on part of the site of the Roman city Melite, which included all of Mdina and a large part of present-day Rabat.

 

The way towards the catacombs of St Agatha's.

 

Statue of Saint Agatha at the entrance to the catacombs and the entrance ticket, valid for the crypt, catacombs and a museum - 5 €.

The Maltese Catacombs were never meant to be hiding places during persecutions or as living quarters. They were underground cemeteries dug in the globigerina limestone, consisting of long narrow corridors with tombs on each side and vaults. Some of the tombs are even decorated with reliefs and frescoes. These extend to 4100 square meters and date to the 2nd and 3rd century AD. In St Agatha's, there are over 500 graves of several types, the majority of children. There are sections for pagans and Jews, as well as for Christians.

Collegiate church of St Paul building commenced in 1653 was completed by Lorenzo Gafà in 1683.

 

2 monuments in front of Collegiate church of St Paul

 

Exploring the narrow streets

 

Pastizzi with ice cream for lunch

Dingli cliffs

 

Private beer

 

Movie uverture to the temples, that costed us 20 €

 

The temple of Ħaġar Qim stands on a hilltop overlooking the sea and the islet of Fifla. First excavated in 1839, the remains suggest a date between 3600 – 3200 BC, a period known as the Ġgantija phase in Maltese prehistory. Ħaġar Qim was in fact never completely buried as the tallest stones, remained exposed and featured in 18th and 19th century paintings.

 

The site consists of a central building and the remains of at least two more structures. The large forecourt and the monumental facade of the central structure follow the pattern typical of Maltese Prehistoric Temples. Along the external wall one may find some of the largest megaliths used in the building of these structures, such as a 5.2 m high stone and a huge megalith estimated to weigh close to 20 tonnes.

 

If you visit Ħaġar Qim at sunrise on the first day of summer you will enjoy a unique experience when you see the sun’s rays pass through a particular hole and illuminate a stone slab inside the chamber.

 

Mnajdra was built around the fourth millennium BCE. The South Temple at Mnajdra is aligned in a manner that it marks the position of sunrise on the first day of each season; the Spring and Autumn Equinoxes and the Summer and Winter Solstices.

The Mnajdra Temples are a complex made up of three temples adjacently joined to one another but not connected. Each one of the temples has a separate entrance and consists of a number of altars and oracles which were used by the worshipers to communicate with the gods. The small walls have been rebuilt.

The memorial to Walter Norris Congreve, Governor of Malta 1924-1927

Happy feet

Ħamrija Tower was completed in 1659 as the twelfth of the De Redin towers.

Less walk paths of Malta

Filfla and Tuši

Since the Azure window collapsed in 2017, I found my own window

 

You can find amazing rock formations all over Malta

View from the top of the window. Wonder when this one will collapse.

 

Sea, rock and wind made this creation

 

Private bay and rock

Freshly equipped rock

Time to sit down, drink a beer and enjoy the sunset

 

Sunset

 

No wonder we made almost 400 photos per day.

Nada and Tuši were here - in an abandoned quarry

GeoCaches found (all received a visit by trackable items "Der Kleine Maulwurf", TB61FZ4, "gran san bernardo", TB84C9J, "De reiziger", TB6R4VV and "FarmtagZ klompendans", TB6BAG2):
- Call Paul, GC7GGC9
- Knights' Wash Room, GC1AKG6
- Faqqanija, GC2V25H
- Mnajdra and Ħaġar Qim, Virtual, GC7B8NZ
- Hagar Qim, the Romans and the Knights, Mystery, GC3A65C
- Geocachers Private Bay, GC3JDMB
- Quarry Steps, GC6GNNG, where I retrieved trackable item "The Green Man", TB7DXE4