LOCAL
The building itself is made up of a series of C-shaped rooms, known
However, in late 2019, part of the covering was torn as a result
as apses. On walking through the main entrance, one comes across
of strong winds and the site was closed off for a short while until
a central paved space with an apse on each side. A slab bearing
the canopy was fixed and until it was determined that the site
a pair of opposing spirals in relief and a free-standing pillar
did not pose a danger to visitors.
decorated on all four sides were discovered in the area. These have been replaced with replicas and the originals can be found
You will find it hard to even imagine the engineering that went
at the National Museum of Archaeology in Valletta. A number
into building this ancient temple without the use of today’s tools.
of stone and clay statuettes of obese figures which have been
Worthy of note is the fact that the temple was first explored back
unearthed in this temple can also be viewed at the museum.
in 1839 by Royal Engineers with further excavations taking place in 1885 and 1909.
One of the prehistoric chambers at Ħaġar Qim holds an elliptical hole which is hewn out in alignment with the Summer Solstice
The site also boasts of an informative hands-on visitors centre.
sunrise. At sunrise, on the first day of summer, the sun’s rays pass through this hole and illuminate a stone slab inside the chamber. One of the best-preserved prehistoric sites to be found on the island, it’s even more protected from the elements thanks to a canopy that was erected over the temples.
Visit www.heritagemalta.org for opening times and updates.
56