Megalithic Temples – Anne Visits Malta

Hal Saflieni Hypogeum

Photos taken from Heritage Malta brochure. No cameras allowed on the premises. — Rock cut imitation of architecture in the Main Hall

6000 year old underground cave paintings

The Hal Saflieni Hypogeum is the oldest underground burial site in Malta. At 6000 years old, it is considered older than Stonehenge and the Egyptian Pyramids. Malta has many of these old structures but this Hypogeum is the only underground burial site. It is located in Paola, very near the Tarxien Temples I discussed in the previous blog.

A UNESCO World Heritage site, this is one of the “must see” prehistoric structures in Malta. More information is included in Day 5 of my book Return to Malta, available from Amazon.

Photos are taken from the Heritage Malta brochure. Cameras were not allowed inside the structure.

This blog annevisitsmalta.com enhances my book Return to Malta by visiting most of the places mentioned in the book with color photos. The book is available through Amazon and other book stores.

Be sure to visit my other blog: annepflugcom.wordpress.com

Tarxien Temples

photo by Patricia Pflug

On my last trip to Malta, Thanks to my daughter in law who is interested in archeology, I visited areas in Malta that I had not visited before. I was very surprised at what I learned.

The Megalithic Temples in Malta are the oldest in the world. Would you believe, older than Stonehenge; older than the Pyramids. Yes! The Tarxien Temples are especially important to me because when I lived in Malta, as a child, I lived within walking distance to these temples and we used to play there, not realizing the importance of the structures. Only recently, in the last 50 years or so, have they been “discovered” and protected and enclosed with ramps added for clear viewing.

These prehistoric temples, and there are quite a few, were built during three distinct periods approximately between 3600BC and 700BC and are UNESCO World Heritage Sites.

One more reason to be proud of my Maltese heritage.

Be sure to visit my other blog: annepflugcom.wordpress.com

The Temples in Tarxien

This temple, dating from around c.4,000 to 2,500 BC is located close to the place where I lived in Tarxien. In fact, my friends and I used to play among the now protected and untouchable rocks when we were young children. This was before they became tourist attractions. I still remember seeing blood stains, from sacrifices on the altar rocks.

If you enjoyed this, much more information is available in my published book: Return to Malta which can be purchased from Amazon.com