I was introduced to the Maltese Neolithic Temple in a strange and at the same time magical way. To be honest with you I didn’t know anything about these historical and wonderful stone structures. So when I arrived on the island, you can imagine how excited I was discovering the abundance of these ancient ruins, unique in all the world!

It was an evening walking along the Bugibba promenade when I stopped to have a look at the clear sea water, wondering how transparent it is even if it is so close to the square. A person came and asked me if I was a tourist and if I had ever seen the “beautiful treasure” in Bugibba. Well, I said: “No, I didn’t see it. Where is it?” He answered to follow him and as a real explorer, I followed him. Let me say that Bugibba is small and safe, I would have not done this in Italy, but in Malta I felt myself like Harrison Ford and for the sake of exploration I could had gone anywhere!

So thanks to that person I discovered the Bugibba Neolithic Temple and it was fantastic to see those big stones standing in front of me, I could even touch them. It was so accessible to meet the Temple and since that time, I like to go there for a little rest and just sit in front of it and imagine how it could have been in all its glory. Do you want to discover the Bugibba Temple? Follow me, Click here 😉

My second experience with a Megalithic Temple was during the Strawberry Feast in Mgarr, click here. The Feast is lovely and for the occasion Heritage Malta offers guided tours at the temple, located in the eastern outskirts of the village. So when the square started being overcrowded, I went to visit the Ta Hagrat Temple and it was like entering another time, outside the present moment, overlooking the Mgarr countryside.

It is like a ritual for me, every year I go to the Strawberry Feast to meet again Ta Hagrat!

I really believe that every temple has his own energy and has its own identity that you can experience and feel.

Historically speaking, according to the archaeological discoveries, the area where Ta Hagrat is standing as well as its neighbor temple called “Skorba” in Żebbiegħ (just one kilometer away) was inhabited by our Neolithic ancestors many years before the construction of the temples.

In fact this time line chart which I found at the Archaeological museum in Valletta, clearly shows that the Neolithic period developed in three different cultural phases:

  1. Ghar Dalam, that signs the First Phase of the Maltese Pre-history, 5000-4500 BC, Click here
  2. Grey Skorba, 4500-4400 BC
  3. Red Skorba, 4400-4100 BC

Apparently, the Sicilian Neolithic farmers crossed the sea and came to Malta 7000 years ago. They settled in the natural caves along the island like Ghar Dalam, the biggest cave of the island, in Birzebuggia. What is fascinating about Ghar Dalam are the different archaeological finds that link it to different historical periods. Inside the cave were found potteries and human remains such as artefacts dating 5000 years ago and similar to the ones found in Sicily. Follow Flora the Explorer and enter in the “Cave of Darkness”, Ghar Dalam, click here

Apart from caves our ancestors also used to settle in small domestic settlements, like the one in Skorba. The Skorba Grey Phase was named after the greyish pottery found in the settlement, a ceramic without any particular decoration.

Later the same ceramic was covered by a coral red layer, from which comes from the name of the Red Skorba Phase. In the picture below you can notice two clay ladles with horn-shaped handles, typical of the Red Skorba phase. (Pictures below taken at the Archeological Museum Valletta).

The second phase of the Maltese prehistory is signed by
the oldest stone standing structures in the world:
the megalithic temples,
nowadays UNESCO World Heritage Sites!

The people who built the temples didn’t know that we would have looked at them as majestic architectonical buildings with a sense of mystery regarding their use and their purposes, that it is still completely unrevealed.

Ta Hagrat consists of two megalithic structures. The largest has been dated to the Gigantija Phase (c. 3600 – 3200 BC), and consists of three semi-circular rooms surrounding a paved, rectangular court. 

What the guide let us notice was that the central court is massively paved and that the three apses around were partially walled off in a later constructional phase. What enchanted me of the Mgarr Temple is its monumental three lithics doorway. Even Nick was excited to take some pictures with the temple.

Any historical place has its own energy because in a way tells the story of the people who made it, who lived there and transformed it.

What was found here that has a huge value is a tiny temple model that I found later at the Archaeological Museum in Valletta. From the picture below, you can see that it has a dome shape roof, suggesting that the temples were covered in that way. That’s amazing considering the technical architectural skills and tools that the Neolithic people may have had.

Our Heritage Malta guide also suggested that the Mgarr temple is facing the “Gigantia” temple in Gozo, while the neighbouring temple of Skorba is facing Tarxien temple in Paola. Archaeologists think that it seems likely there is another hypogeum close by!

In fact, it seems that the temples were built in blocks of two temples plus an Hypogeum.

Malta is not only an open-air museum but also an underground museum, still to be discovered!

Here the map with the location of the Ta Hagrat Temple and Skorba Temple, click on the red pins for more info 🙂

Ta Hagrat Temple

Ta Hagrat,
St. Peter Street
Mġarr MGR 1541
Tel: +356 21 586 264

Open On Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays, between 09.00 and 16.30hrs.

Visiting on other days is subject to an administration fee over and above the normal admission tariff per site.

Closed on 24, 25 & 31 December, 1 January & Good Friday

Due to the small size and fragility of these sites, only 15 visitors may be admitted at a time

Tickets may be purchased online at www.heritagemalta.org or at the Mgarr Local Council.

Tickets

Adults (18 – 59 years): €3.50
Youths (12 – 17 years), Senior Citizens (60 years & over), and Students: €3.00
Children (6 – 11 years): €2.50
Infants (1 – 5 years): Free

Tel: +356 21 586 264

Skorba Temple

St. Anne Square,
Żebbiegħ,
Mġarr MGR 2210
Tel: +356 21 580 590

Opening Hours

On Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays, between 09.00 and 16.30hrs. Visiting on other days is subject to an administration fee over and above the normal admission tariff per site.

Closed on 24, 25 & 31 December, 1 January & Good Friday

Due to the small size and fragility of these sites, only 15 visitors may be admitted at a time

Tickets

Adults (18 – 59 years): €3.50
Youths (12 – 17 years), Senior Citizens (60 years & over), and Students: €3.00
Children (6 – 11 years): €2.50
Infants (1 – 5 years): Free

www.heritagemalta.org

THANKS FOR READING THE ARTICLE 🙂

Discover more about Maltese prehistory, click here

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