Megalithic temples of Malta Malta. Megalithic temples of Malta. Megalithic temples of Malta and attractions around

Local geographers claim that in prehistoric times, the site of tiny Malta was occupied by a much larger piece of land. This is evidenced by two megalithic temples discovered on the seabed, near the city of San Julian. The opinion about the relationship of the archipelago to Atlantis is widespread in the scientific world, although it is not supported by any specific data. The country's earliest history is also vague; Just guesses are assumptions about the existence of a developed civilization here with a cultural, but aggressive society that brought fear to the Egyptians and Greeks.

According to the most common version, the first inhabitants of Malta were farmers from Sicily. Having safely covered 100 km on wooden rafts, they brought with them food, utensils, and tools. Together with people, domestic animals and animals of unknown purpose landed on the islands, for example, dwarf elephants the size of an ordinary dog. This significant event occurred approximately 4 thousand years ago. However, experts attribute the settlement of the Maltese archipelago to earlier times, citing mysterious, although quite material, things as evidence. Thus, the local roads appeared long before the invention of the wheel, and their abrupt end near the coast suggests earthly faults.

Elephant figurine from a megalithic temple


Mysterious ruts with beveled walls are hollowed out in the rocky ground, have a depth of about half a meter and are separated from each other by a distance of 1.4 m. In some places they reach the very edge of the water, maintaining parallelism; in others they converge and intersect, like rails. Left behind by unknown transport, the ruts could have been preserved after the construction of the temple or its transfer to another place due to a change in the topography. Discarding the idea of ​​Atlantis, we can assume that Malta is part of the land swallowed up by the sea. In addition to the strange roads, evidence of this is the remains of prehistoric lizards found on the islands, too large for an island only 27 km long.

Another mystery lies in the finds in the dungeons of the Hal Saflieni sanctuary near the city of Paola: figurines in the form of obese, headless figures with tiny arms and legs, at the time of discovery, lay next to amphorae and lamps. No less surprising is the origin of local ivory products. As you know, mammoths left the world at the end of the Ice Age, and their supposed descendants - elephants - were found only in Africa. In ancient times, as an ornamental material, ivory was valued on a par with gold. Its transportation until the beginning of our era was too difficult, especially for people who did not know how to build ships. Nevertheless, in Malta, ivory jewelry was available as early as the 3rd millennium BC. e. Today they are included in the exhibition of the National Museum of Archeology, along with pottery and stone tools.

Being the largest of Valletta's museums, it is housed in a house called "Auberge de Provence", built as a dormitory for the Knights of the Order of St. John of Jerusalem. Clay and metal products discovered in the upper layers of the Hal Saflieni underground date back to the Bronze Age.

Terracotta figurine from Hal Saflieni



Standard plan of a megalithic temple


Later and less artistically valuable, they are marked by the influence of Aegean art.

Judging by the appearance, these products were not made by aliens, but by people from Sicily: ceramics with a scratched pattern of red and white colors are similar to objects from the Neolithic cultures of Western Europe.

Ancient architecture - the most valuable part of the prehistoric heritage - in Malta is presented in museums under open air, which are all the islands of the archipelago. The megalithic sanctuaries of Malta date back to the Neolithic and Chalcolithic periods. The most interesting of all the monuments discovered in Europe, they are carved out of rock or built from local limestone. Some structures were erected about 6 thousand years ago, that is, they appeared earlier Egyptian pyramids, until recently considered the first man-made buildings on Earth. Megaliths (from the Greek megas and lithos - “big stone”) are ancient religious buildings built dry from huge, often unprocessed stone blocks. Today, 3 types of megalithic structures are known: dolmens, menhirs and cromlechs. Dolmens, made in the form of large stone boxes covered with a flat slab, were built as burials. The menhir is a long stone dug into the ground strictly vertically.

The prehistoric monuments of Malta are mainly represented by cromlechs, or a group of menhirs set in the form of a circular enclosure. Similar to the famous complexes of Stonehenge in England and Karnak in France, they appeared a thousand years earlier. In addition to their age, the Maltese megaliths are distinguished by their purpose and unusual building density: more than 20 temple complexes are located on an area comparable in size to small town. Megalithic structures of the same type, wherever they are located, are similar in material, architectural form and design. High stone fences often hide courtyards that resemble a flower with three petals.

In prehistoric times, stone was not just a building material. Belief in its magical properties was reflected in amulets and totems. Filled with deep meaning in ancient times, things made of solid earth rock retained their former meaning in the future. Christians built their first church on the rock; stones were used to mark the boundaries of sacred territories; Tribes gathered for council next to large stones endowed with a special role. In mainland complexes, groups of stone obelisks were used in unknown rituals. Even the quantity, not to mention the location, refutes any thoughts about the random nature of such ensembles. While dolmens were undoubtedly tombs, the role of menhirs is still a matter of debate. The structure of cromlechs, which was quite complex for its time, required knowledge of astronomy and mathematics, which the ancient builders could well have mastered.

Collective burials in caves and the cyclopean masonry of temples do not reveal the mystery of the first millennia of island history. The gods of the ancient Maltese remained unknown, just as the daily life of a people who were undoubtedly developed and, perhaps, came from the mainland, was covered in a veil of secrecy. Recently, thoughts have been increasingly expressed about the presence of giants in Malta, which arose from nowhere, existed on the islands for 2 millennia and just as mysteriously disappeared, leaving behind huge temples.

Maltese sanctuaries are built from stone monoliths up to 8 m long and weighing several tons each. It is difficult to attribute their creation to the Sicilians, because they were never distinguished by their tall stature or strong physique.


Gzhantia


The ancient builders of Malta used 2 types of stone: hard tal-quawwi for masonry walls and soft tal-franca for interior decoration. The method of transporting and processing the blocks is still unknown, but the construction technology was reproduced quite accurately. The work began with the construction of a hole for the base. Its walls were sloping on one side and strictly vertical on the other, opposite, where the pit was reinforced with logs. Having rolled the blocks on rollers, the workers moved them onto the wooden flooring, and then, helping themselves with levers and winches, lowered them down. The laying of the slabs happened slowly, literally centimeters at a time, although as a result the huge stones lay precisely.

After the foundation, the construction of the above-ground part of the temple began, which was folded with the help of winches and scaffolding. Ancient builders fitted the blocks very tightly, trying not to leave any gaps. The semicircular chambers of the sanctuaries were located around a central passage. The complex buildings were surrounded by a common wall, similar in plan to a horseshoe and also made in the megalithic technique, that is, without mortar and pre-treatment stone surface. It is assumed that the fences were originally covered with false vaults.

The largest Maltese sanctuary - Gzantija - is located on the island of Gozo and, in addition to the official one, has the name “mother and daughter”. The second name was determined by the original form of the structure, erected in the form of two lying women of unequal height. The entrance to each of them is located at the site of the vagina.

Erotic symbolism occupied a special place in the culture of the Maltese newcomers. In many temples, places of honor were given to phallic signs, represented by drawings and unusual sculpture. Thus, a powerful slab in one of the sanctuaries personified the human reproductive organ. Anyone who managed to touch her could hope for a quick addition to the family. The smooth and fairly even surface of an ordinary stone pedestal was in some unknown way correlated with male strength, which is what today’s Maltese believe. It is no coincidence that this particular temple is the most visited of the ancient monuments of the island, and it is not difficult to guess that representatives of the stronger sex come here more often.


Dolmen


At one time, Gzhantia was listed in the Guinness Book of Records as the oldest building on the planet. The rest of the temples of Malta were built 2-3 thousand years later, but, despite their relative youth, they are of no less historical interest and are excellent from the artistic side. In 1847, notes by the French writer G. Flaubert appeared in the European press. Like many of his colleagues, the famous novelist expressed interest in ancient monuments, but, unlike many, he did not see any mysticism in their origin. Having called dolmens and menhirs witchcraft buildings, he did not deny their cult significance, noting that “they could embody the ancient ideas about the temple.

Some see the huge swinging stones of dolmens as a symbol of the Earth floating in an endless void. They could be a device for judicial trials: when someone was accused of a crime, he had to walk over a shaky stone. If he remained motionless, the person was acquitted. It is difficult to say anything definite about menhirs. If desired, in each of them one can notice a resemblance to a huge phallus and on this basis draw a conclusion about some kind of phallistic cult, like the cult of Isis.”

The religious significance of the Maltese megaliths could not be proven, but the piety of the local residents forced them to build sanctuaries before houses. Probably, this tradition passed into modern times from the era of mysterious giants who did not hide in fortresses, did not build tombs for themselves, did not have weapons, including primitive knives, did not hunt or plow the land. Rejecting metal, by then it had long been known to people, the probable ancestors of the Maltese turned their talents to construction.


Stone figurine of Saracen


The life of the mysterious settlers was subordinated to serving the gods and building temples. Perhaps they were supplied with food and clothing by pilgrims who came to Malta to worship the goddess Saracen, a fat, fertile giantess whose image is depicted in temple sculpture. The rocky lands of the archipelago could be sacred place, where her priestesses and secular admirers lived, who undoubtedly adhered to the laws of matriarchy. The overweight Saracen was more often depicted sitting and lying down. Almost all of her statues lack heads, but in place of the neck there are indentations into which attachments found in the same temples fit. Apparently, each head of the goddess was a specific symbol, and therefore was replaced before the start of the corresponding ceremony.

The Maltese believed that the beauty of Saracen could drive you crazy, so the priestesses, not wanting it for faint-hearted spectators, hid the face of the goddess by removing the head from the statue. The most spectacular of all the sculptures found is usually called the Maltese Venus. The peculiar appearance of the islanders’ foremother brings considerable income, because miniature copies of the famous sculpture are now sold in all souvenir shops in Malta. According to legend, it was she who built Gzhantia, dragging huge blocks of stone from nearby cliffs. Translated from the Maltese language, the name of this sanctuary of the archipelago sounds like “tower of the giantess.” They say that in one hand Saracen held a block, and in the other she carried her child, whom the short inhabitants of Gozo for some reason consider their ancestor.

Carved ornament on a stele in Khal Tarshin



Interior view of the Khal Tarshin sanctuary


Most Maltese churches do not have interior decoration. The impression of completeness is created by the decoration: stone idols, carved altars, niches and hearths, flat sculpture on the walls, where the animal motif is often repeated. In some cases, portal blocks were decorated with primitive carved ornaments. Dots, spirals, realistically interpreted plant and zoomorphic motifs were made in flat relief and then painted. Similar patterns with traces of paint distinguish the walls of the Hal Tarshin temple, discovered about a century ago in the north-east of Malta. Currently, the same name has been created here museum complex, consisting of 4 temples created in 2100–2800 BC. e.

A true masterpiece of prehistoric architecture is the Hypogeum, a multi-story cave carved into granite rock using stone tools. A labyrinth of narrow passages, caverns, shallow and deep niches smoothly descends to a depth of 12 m. Translated from Latin, the word “hypogeum” means “underground dwelling.” However, the full name of the monument includes the name of Saflieni Street, where archaeologists dug it up at the beginning of the last century.

Unlike other Maltese temples, the Hypogeum probably had more than just a religious purpose. Excavations in the lowest level revealed tens of thousands of human skeletons, indicating that the underground corridors may have been used as a cemetery, a prison, or a place where priests were tested. The burials are located in the lower tiers, representing a series of low burial chambers with three blank walls. Each of them was intended for a small body; they all resembled each other, but one was distinguished by its “infinite length,” that is, stretching out in the form of a tunnel, it was lost in the unexplored thickness of rocky rock. In the pre-war years, local daredevils tried to explore the mysterious hole; having difficulty crossing the narrow entrance, they fell into the tunnel and remained in it forever.

Hypogeum


In the absence of eyewitnesses, rumors arose that this place was inhabited by certain creatures interested in preserving the secrets of their monastery. One way or another, people really disappeared in the Maltese dungeons, strange sounds were heard and the most attractive caves crumbled by themselves. The catacomb system was mentioned more than once in ancient books. Some of the authors claimed that the network of tunnels branched inward and to the sides, continued under the seabed and stretched to Italy.

To date, all megaliths discovered in different parts of the archipelago are open to the public in Malta. Prehistoric buildings, as a rule, are combined into complexes, that is, several structures are meant under a single name.

On the southern tip of Malta there are 2 temples as part of the Hajar Qim ensemble, built in 2700 BC. e.


Bugibba



Ar Dalam Cave


On the opposite side of the island stands Bugibba, a temple named after the city, near which it was discovered by archaeologists in 1928. Over time, the city border came close to the ancient cromlech and today it is located on the territory of the New Dolmen hotel. Resort town Bugibba, located 10 km from Valletta, is a long distance from the capital, by local standards, since Malta is three times the length. The road from Bugibba to San Giulian runs along the coast, and, despite the loud name Regional Highway, is a crooked single-lane road with poor coverage. At night it turns into a kind of “death road”. The last streetlights stand at the exit from the nearest town of Sliema, and drivers, cursing the darkness, are forced to drive between a rock and an abyss.

The gloomy Ar Dalam Cave Museum is a veritable depository of fossils. Walking through its cool halls, you can see dwarf elephants and hippopotamuses, giant dormice and a turtle, as well as birds that inhabited the island more than 200 thousand years ago. Thus, the unique exhibits of Ar Dalam record the moments of the emergence of life not only on Malta, but also on Earth as a whole. The cult ensemble of Mnajdra, discovered in the mid-19th century on the southern tip of Malta, consists of three sanctuaries of varying sizes. In the spring of 2001, on the night of the fateful Friday the 13th, on the eve of Easter, modern vandals visited the monumental structure, moving and breaking 60 stone blocks. The ancient temple, fortunately, was not destroyed, although it suffered only once in its long existence.


Mnajdra


Having erected unique complexes, the mysterious giants suddenly disappeared at the very height of their culture. The events that led to the departure or mass death of an entire people remained a secret of history: guesses about the epidemic and war were not confirmed. Also, the idea that they left the world voluntarily, not wanting to see the changes taking place in it, has not been proven.


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Among other services to history, the Maltese archipelago is famous throughout the world for the fact that the oldest man-made buildings on Earth are located here. These are megalithic temples.

A person who encounters such prehistoric monuments for the first time involuntarily has a number of questions: what kind of temples are these, how many are there, where are they located, for what purpose were they erected? Let's start with the basics, what is a megalith in general? In fact, this is any religious structure made of huge unprocessed or semi-processed stone blocks, which include dolmens (a burial box covered with a massive flat slab), menhirs (free-standing stones) and cromlechs (circular fences). The Maltese megaliths are cromlechs. The most famous cromlechs on the planet are considered to be Stonehenge (England) and Karnak (France, not to be confused with the Egyptian temple complex), but the Maltese buildings are older, in addition, they are distinguished by their “accuracy” - more than twenty temple complexes are located in an area comparable to a small European city.

What do they have in common? – material, design features(for example, the shape of the entrance), in many cases the architectural form is similar, reminiscent of flower petals. Some temples are quite primitive, probably not all the details have survived to this day, while others, on the contrary, have a special ornament and are decorated with carvings, for example, Tarshin. In principle, it has not been reliably established that these buildings served specifically for worship, but you need to know the Maltese at least a little to understand that they will give everything to the last for the construction of the temple, even if they themselves remain in poverty. This tradition probably dates back to the days of the first settlers.

A separate point in the study of megaliths is the method of building temples. The fact is that all the structures were made of stone blocks, the size of which reaches 8 meters in length and weight - tens of tons. It remains a mystery to this day how people of that era, who knew only primitive tools, could create entire complexes of buildings from such large building materials. However, many are inclined to believe that the legend is true, according to which the temples were built by another human race, giant people. Well, sometimes, looking at the majestic walls of the Maltese megaliths, you yourself become convinced that this hypothesis is not groundless.

However, there is a version that the ancient builders developed a whole technology. First, a hole was dug for the foundation of the temple with one vertical side and the other, opposite, sloping. The pit was reinforced on the vertical side with logs. Then large stones were rolled there on rollers, they were rolled onto an inclined plane and then pulled into the pit using primitive levers and winches. Laying the block in the desired position proceeded slowly, centimeter by centimeter. But in the end the stone fell as it should. After the foundation, people began construction of the above-ground part of the temple, also with the help of winches and scaffolding.

The age of all structures dates back to the Neolithic and Chalcolithic eras (4000-2000 BC). The oldest surviving temple, Ggantija on the island of Gozo, was built approximately 3600 BC, that is, about 1000 years earlier than the Egyptian pyramids. Ggantija is listed in the Guinness Book of Records as the oldest man-made structure on the planet. The remaining temples of Malta, although less ancient, also have lasting historical value. Unique ancient monuments, sculptures, paintings, etc. were found on the territory of many of them. Many of the finds adorn the exhibition of the Malta Museum of Archaeology.

Currently, in Malta, many megaliths are open to the public in almost all parts of the archipelago. Typically, temples are combined into complexes, that is, one name hides two or three buildings. Here are the most famous of them:

Ggantija

3600 BC, 2 temples
Xaghra town, northeast Gozo
Discovered in 1826

Located on the island of Gozo near the town of Xaghra. They are about 5600 years old, this age has not been “beaten” by any other structure in the world, even the famous Egyptian pyramids; it is not for nothing that Ggantija is included in the Guinness Book of Records. Built from such huge blocks of stone that it is increasingly assumed that the builders were not people at all, but some giants (hence the consonant name of the buildings), they (the temples) form two courtyards, each of which has the shape of a trefoil. Two types of stone were used - soft "tal-franca" for creating interiors and hard "tal-kuavvi" for building walls.
Its shapes are symbolic - the trefoil meant fertility, the spiral meant life, and the winding lines meant renewed life.

Mnajdra

3000-3500 BC, 2 large temple and 1 small
South of Malta
Discovered in 1840

The ruins of the temple lie at the foot of the hill on which Hajar Im is located. The trefoil shape is also observed here. The most impressive structure in the complex is the third temple, with its best preserved façade and terrace, built between 3150 and 2500 BC. The stonework shows a superior knowledge of building technique, and the concave, bracket-supported shape of the walls suggests the possibility of a domed structure such as a roof.
Another temple has a specific astronomical purpose. On the Equinox days, March 20th and September 22nd, the rays of the sun pass directly through the main gate of the temple and illuminate the main axis. At the summer solstice (June 21st), the sun's rays illuminate the edge of the megalith to the left of the main gate, connecting the first pair of rooms with the interior.
At the winter solstice (December 21st), the same effect can be seen on the corresponding megalith on the right.
On Friday, April 13, 2001, on the eve of Easter, the Mnajdra temples were damaged by unknown vandals. About 60 stone blocks that made up the buildings were moved and broken.

Hagar Qim

2700 BC, more than 2 temples
South of Malta
Discovered in 1839

This mega-stone temple complex is decorated with carved animals and idols, sacrificial altars and prophetic chambers, all made of obsidian and flint, without the use of any tools. Giant slabs of limestone form a series of ovals placed at the top of the building, which some archaeologists compare in age to figurines of the Mother Goddess. The view of the Mediterranean and the nearby island of Filfla is one of the best in Malta. Hajar Kim and its neighbor, the Mnajdra temple, are located near the village of Qrendi, about 15 km southwest of Valletta.
Several statues are on display at the National Archaeological Museum in Valletta.

Tarshin



2100-2800 BC, 4 temples
City of the same name, northeast Malta
Discovered in 1913

The Tarshin megaliths were discovered by peasants cultivating fields near city ​​of the same name. The peasants informed the then director of the Maltese Museums, Sir Themistocles Zammit, about their discovery - large blocks of processed stone. The South Temple is famous for its elaborate prehistoric bas-reliefs depicting domestic animals and geometric figures. On the wall between the South and Central temples, carved images of two bulls and a sow with piglets were found - a symbol of fertility. This is also where one of the Maltese fertility goddesses originates: in front of the temples there is the lower part of a four-meter statue depicting a very obese female person. Apparently, the temples of Tarshin were intensively used by ancient people for religious ceremonies - animal bones, a bowl hollowed out in stone for sacrificial blood and the likeness of a knife made of flint, as well as a decorated altar found in the Southern Temple indicate frequent sacrifices. After some time, megaliths lost their significance as temples and in the Bronze Age they began to be used primarily as a place for cremation and burial of people.

Skorba

3000 BC, remains of several temples
Zebbiegh town, west of Malta
Discovered in the 1960s

The complex includes two temples. The remains of the temples indicate that their shape was also in the form of a trefoil. Skorba was built on the site of an ancient settlement; archaeologists have discovered many huts to the west of the temple. In one of these huts they found 11 hand mills made of coral limestone, dating back to 3600 - 3200 BC. Slate and obsidian were also found.

Ta"Hajrat (Ta"Hagrat)

3600-3000 BC, remains of two temples
City of Mgarr, west of Malta
Discovered in 1923-37

It is located just a kilometer from Skorb. As happened with many temples on the island, Ta-Hajrat was discovered by accident. In 1916, residents noticed an unusual mound of stones. And the owner of this land even tried to use some stones to build his house.
Behind the impressively sized gate there is a corridor flanked by huge columns made of coral limestone (almost all temple complexes are made from this material), three on each side, on which stone slabs are installed as partitions. The corridor is paved with large stone blocks placed with great precision. It leads to a central courtyard with three semicircular rooms. Traces of cantilever masonry are visible on the apse walls, indicating that the temple may have been covered with a roof.

Tal-Qadi

3000-3300 BC, remains of several temples
North of Malta, northwest of Burmarrad
Discovered in 1927

Tas-Silg

3000-3300 BC, the remains of one megalithic temple and some other buildings from various eras of antiquity.
East of Malta, near the town of Marsaxlokk
Discovered in 1963-72

The temple was constantly rebuilt by the Phoenicians, Catholics, and possibly Christians. On the east side the wall is interrupted by a threshold block in which there are 3 openings. In the western part there is concave masonry, which may be the foundation of the building. These two features perhaps indicate that the monument may have had 2 entrances opposite each other. A statue of a “fat woman” was also found, which had been deliberately mutilated and hidden in a recess under one of the façade blocks.
The complex is usually closed to the public, but permission to view the monument can be sought from the Malta Cultural Authority, Heritage Malta.

Bugibba

Neolithic Temple
The north of Malta, the city of Bugibba, is located on the territory of the New Dolmen Hotel
Discovered in 1928

Gleb CHERNOV.

Megaliths of Malta


Malta has preserved perhaps the most ancient on Earth megalithic structures. Scientists call them temples, citing the complex ceremonial burial culture that existed here. At the same time, it is known that this was a highly technically developed society, which created its own calendar and had extensive knowledge of astronomy.

In the photo: Mysterious sanctuaries in the town of Hadjar Im in Malta and Ggantija in Gozo are about 1000 years older than famous pyramids in Giza, older than the Mayan sites and Stonehenge.
They are built from huge blocks of stone, and it is still a mystery how 6 thousand years ago it was possible to lift such weights to a height of several meters, and even lay the stones so tightly that there were no gaps between them.

Megaliths of Malta and Gozo


The Maltese megaliths are considered not only the most ancient ones discovered so far. They are also notable for the fact that, as a rule, they do not stand alone, but form huge complexes. The oldest of the Maltese megaliths - Ggantija - is located in the northeast of the island of Gozo. It was erected around 3400-3000 BC. e., and discovered in 1826. The word "Ggantija" means "giant" or "giantess" and is very suitable for the megalith. It consists of two separate temples with different entrances, but a common back wall. The temples have a slightly concave facade, in front of which there is a platform of large stone blocks. Most ancient temple The complex consists of three semicircular rooms arranged in the shape of a trefoil. Scientists believe that such a trinity symbolizes the past. present and future, or birth, life and death. Hagar Quim dates back to around 3300 BC.

This name translates as “standing stones” because before the excavations only the tops of the huge boulders were visible above the ground. The height of some of them is more than five meters. This complex is located on the island of Malta, southeast of La Valletta. The skill of the ancient architects is amazing, as they perfectly matched horizontal and vertical stones to each other. The geometric and mathematical calculations used by the builders are surprisingly accurate. The temples display the movement of the Sun from sunrise to sunset, and during the equinox, the sun's rays fall directly on the main altar.
Other temples are no less amazing. The hypogeum of Gal Safliene is a multi-level underground sanctuary, going 12 meters into the ground, and Tarxien is the largest temple complex Malta, consisting of four buildings.

Why were they built?

According to one version, these megalithic complexes were used as temples and burial sites. Some of them actually held religious ceremonies and later buried the dead. But is that what they were originally intended for? After all
ancient structures often changed their function and... according to a number of researchers, this is exactly what happened with the megalithic complexes of Malta. According to another version, megaliths were used to conduct astronomical observations of the Moon and the Sun. But was this necessary for ancient farmers? To begin sowing or harvesting, it is much more useful to observe the condition of the soil and the weather.

Giant emitters?

For the first time, ultrasonic radiation from a megalith was measured completely by accident. British zoologists studied the life of bats in the area of ​​the Rollright menhir (on the border of Oxfordshire and Warwickshire) and found that before sunrise, the stone begins to emit ultrasonic waves that lead bats astray. Radiation is most intense and lasting during the equinoxes, minimal during the solstices. In addition, cyclic bursts of radiation were noted. The situation is even more interesting with ancient burial structures made of stone - dolmens. The geometric parameters of their empty internal chambers suggest that these structures can generate infrasonic acoustic vibrations. And the deformation of dolmen slabs, leading to the appearance of an electric field in quartz crystals, occurs during
due to the tidal influence of the Moon and the Sun. The tidal wave formed by the gravity of the Moon leads to vertical movements not only of water in the oceans, but also of layers of the earth's crust. Was it because the megalithic builders were interested in the movement of the Moon that they needed to know the operating time of their emitters?

Perhaps, with the help of acoustic influence, the megalith builders could stop the enemy, predict the onset of an earthquake or storm? Perhaps this is precisely what explains the emotional excitement that some of our contemporaries feel when entering an ancient temple?

Oh those crazy rails!

We have somehow already become accustomed to gigantic megalithic structures. Yes, pyramids, yes. Stonehenge - burial grounds, sanctuaries - everything is clear. That is, nothing is clear, but you can pretend that it is clear. But there are hundreds of mysterious furrows that, like rails, cross the island of Malta in the most different directions- this is no longer a phenomenon consistent with anything. Many of them run parallel, and then suddenly merge into one track, only to turn sharply or smoothly go to the side. Unusual “rails” cross mountains, can end on a steep cliff, and then right below, in the valley, continue their path in the same direction. And on the coast they go straight into blue waters Mediterranean Sea and at great depths they stretch along the bottom for hundreds of meters. And they appear on the island of Gozo, neighboring Malta. The width of one “rail” ranges from 15 to 25 centimeters, the depth of the track is from 10 to 70 centimeters, which means that the diameter of the wheel that rolled along this road should reach two meters.

The distance between furrows ranges from 63 to 123 centimeters. Who and how created this network of furrows in the rocky soil of the island thousands of years ago? And for what purpose?
There is no logic in the parameters vehicle, which could “ride” on these rails, nor that one. how they were laid. The leading Maltese archaeologist, professor at the local university, Anthony Bonanno, believes that at least 90% of all excavations are located near ancient temples. From which he concludes that they were required for their construction. But how could rails, on which nothing could be transported, contribute to the construction of ancient structures? By the way, the time of appearance of both the stone colossi in the Andes and the mysterious stripes in Malta is approximately 6-7 thousand years ago.

Stone balls - don't roll

Many hypotheses have been put forward about how and why the strange furrows were created. According to one of them, these are traces from carts in which draft animals were harnessed. However, experience has shown that the carts would not be able to maneuver in ruts, since their turning radius is very small. There are assumptions that are even awkward to analyze. for example, that the grooves are writing that is only visible from the air. Or is it leftovers? transport system, connecting Europe with Africa. The most successful, at first glance, seems to be the hypothesis associated with hundreds of balls of soft limestone that were found on the island. Its authors suggested that these balls served as supports for platforms on which multi-ton stone blocks were transported for the construction of temples, of which 23 have survived in Malta. But the marks from the balls would have a rounded shape, but in fact they are trough-shaped. gravity large blocks limestone balls won’t hold up, but for the sake of the little ones, was it worth building a garden? And it’s impossible to deliver goods along such confusing ruts...

In addition to beautiful beaches and interesting excursions throughout the cities, many tourists are drawn here by the biggest mystery of these islands - these are the megalithic temples. They are called buildings from prehistoric times, some of which, the best preserved, are recognized cultural heritage UNESCO.

Mysteries of megalithic structures

The megalithic temples of Malta were built starting from 5000 BC, and therefore serve as the basis for periodization ancient history Maltese islands.

There are a lot of mysteries and questions around these structures, the main ones of which are who built these temples and how? They are huge in size, have stone blocks of incredible weight in their construction, and at the same time they were erected without the use of iron tools, and even more so without modern construction equipment. That's why local residents who lived nearby many centuries later did not believe that they could have been built a common person. As a result, many legends arose about these temples, including those about the giant men who built them.

It is also noteworthy that megalithic structures in Malta appeared much earlier than in mainland Europe, and are also at least 1000 years older than the Egyptian pyramids. They are considered the oldest surviving buildings on the planet.

Also, as a result of numerous studies, scientists have established a pattern: in the center of each megalithic complex there are burial places, and temples have been built around them at some distance.

Temples that have survived to this day

A total of 23 megalithic sanctuaries have been discovered in Malta. By now, many of them have been destroyed or dilapidated, but even the remains are impressive in their gigantic size.

Today, only 4 temples remain relatively intact:

  1. Ggantija is a complex of two temples with different entrances, but a common back wall. It is considered the oldest megalith and is located in the center. The dilapidated facade of Ggantija reaches 6 m in height, its limestone blocks reach 5 m in length and 50 tons in weight. Therefore, the principle of masonry was used during construction - the stones are held together by their weight. Inside the structure, places for hanging animals before sacrifice and an altar were found.
  2. - the largest and best preserved megalith, located near the village of Krendi - 15 km southwest of. It stands on a hill and overlooks the sea and the island of Filfla. This is a complex of three temples that stands out from the rest with figures of gods and animals carved on the walls and mysterious spirals. The courtyard and façade around Hajar Qim have also been preserved.
  3. is a complex of three temples, which from a height together resemble a clover leaf. Mnajdra stands on a steep coast, not far from Hadjar Kvim, overlooking the same island of Filfa. Its peculiarity is that it is oriented towards the sunrise during the equinox and solstice. Stone and clay figurines, shells, various ornaments, ceramics, and flint tools were found here. And it is precisely the absence of iron tools that speaks of its Neolithic origin.
  4. Tarshien- the most complex and architecturally interesting megalithic building in Malta, consists of 4 temples with numerous altars and altars, which indicates the deep religious beliefs of the ancient Maltese. The lower part of the stone statue has survived to this day. ancient goddess at the entrance to one of the temples, which was taken to the museum, and a copy of it was left here.
How to get to the temples?

Ggantija is located on the island of Gozo, on the outskirts of the town of Shara. You can get to this island by public transport, for example, by ferry from Chirkevva (buses No. 645, 45 go to Chirkevva), upon arrival, transfer to a bus going through the village of Nadur, where you need to get off. Then follow the signs; the journey from the stop to the temple will take 10 minutes.

To get to the Hajar Kvim Temple, you need to take bus No. 138 or No. 38 from the airport and get off at the Hadjar stop. From Khadraj Quim you should walk less than a kilometer towards the coast to see the Mnajdra Temple.

Tarshien Temple is located in the city, you can get to it from the central terminal of Valletta by buses No. 29, 27, 13, 12, 11.

The cost of visiting temples varies from €6 to €10.

Reasons for the end ancient civilization in Malta remain a mystery to this day. But to the question of why many temples were destroyed, there are several assumptions: climate change, land depletion, wars that were fought here, as well as the use of temple stones in economic activities by the later local population.

Research into megalithic temples does not stop. If you also want to touch the spirit of the ancient civilization in Malta, perhaps make your own observations and simply admire the stunning, mystical work of the ancient Maltese, take a trip to at least one of the temples. Perhaps some secret will be revealed here for you.

Megalithic temples of Malta

Malta is famous throughout the world for the fact that the most ancient man-made buildings on Earth are located here. These are megalithic temples.

Before every visitor leaving the building international airport in Malta, a rather developed and desiccated landscape appears. 7,000 years ago it was a virgin, lush land. Fearless pioneers who landed around 5200 BC. e. on the islands of the Maltese archipelago, they brought with them cattle, sheep, goats and pigs. They also brought with them wheat and barley seeds to sow in the new land.

What kind of people were these? There is no answer to this question yet. Their anthropological type is unknown. The ancestral homeland is unclear, not to mention the language. One thing is clear: today's Maltese have nothing in common with them. Far from being isolated from the rest of the world, these people had extensive trade connections. Since their islands were made entirely of limestone, they were in dire need of hard stone from which to make their tools. Flint was brought to Malta from Sicily, black volcanic glass (obsidian) from the islands of Lipari and Pantelleria, and highly prized diorite axes were brought from Italy. More than 5,500 years ago, a thousand years before the construction of the Cheops pyramid, the local islanders knew how to build and erected colossal buildings that are still amazing in their size, especially megalithic temples.

Megalithic temples are religious structures made of huge blocks of stone, which include dolmens (a burial box covered with a massive flat slab), menhirs (free-standing stones) and cromlechs (circular fences).

The Maltese megaliths are cromlechs. The most famous cromlechs on the planet are Stonehenge (England) and Karnak (France), but the Maltese buildings are older.

In many cases, the shape of the entrance is similar to a flower petal. Some temples are quite primitive, probably not all the details have survived to this day, while others, on the contrary, have a special ornament and are decorated with carvings. In principle, it has not been reliably established that these buildings served specifically for worship, but you need to know the Maltese at least a little to understand that they will give everything to the last for the construction of the temple, even if they themselves remain in poverty.

A separate point in the study of megaliths is the method of building temples. The fact is that all the structures were erected from stone blocks, the size of which reaches 8 m in length and weight - tens of tons. It remains a mystery to this day how people of that era, who knew only primitive tools, could create entire complexes of buildings from such large building materials. However, many are inclined to believe that the legend is true, according to which the temples were built by another human race, giant people.

Megalithic Temple of Malta

However, there is a version that the ancient builders developed a whole technology. First, they dug a hole for the foundation of the temple with one vertical side and the other, opposite, sloping. The pit was reinforced on the vertical side with logs. Then large stones were rolled there on rollers. They were transferred onto an inclined plane and then pulled into the pit using primitive levers and winches. Laying the block in the desired position proceeded slowly, centimeter by centimeter. But in the end the stone fell as it should. After the foundation, people began construction of the above-ground part of the temple, also with the help of winches and scaffolding.

In total, the remains of 23 temples have been discovered to date in Malta and Gozo. All of them are built from local limestone, or rather, from two varieties of it: relatively hard coral limestone and softer globigerina limestone. Over the past centuries, Maltese peasants, needing stone for their own purposes, dismantled ancient temples for building material. So today most buildings are piles of ruins: randomly scattered blocks of stone, destroyed remains of walls and fences.

The age of all structures dates back to the Neolithic and Chalcolithic eras (4000–2000 BC). The oldest surviving temple, Ggantija on the island of Gozo, was built approximately 3600 BC. e., that is, about 1000 years earlier than the Egyptian pyramids. Only four temples have reached our time relatively undamaged - Ggantija (listed in the Guinness Book of Records as the oldest man-made structure on the planet), Hagar Quim, Mnajdra and Tarshien.

Ggantija (the name means "giant's tower") is located in the center of the island of Gozo. It was built around 3600 BC. e. - five centuries before the first dynasty of pharaohs reigned in Egypt. According to local legend, the Ggantija Temple was built by a race of giant people who once lived on the island. According to one version of this legend, the colossal blocks from which the temple was built were carried by a giant woman with a baby on her back. She ate magic beans, which increased her already enormous strength.

Hagar Quim is the largest and best preserved temple complex in Malta. The stone-walled courtyard in front of the sanctuary is large enough to accommodate several hundred people. The small, now dilapidated stone buildings that are part of the complex could equally well have been the dwellings of priests and stables for keeping sacrificial animals. Stone altars, sacrificial niches, libation holes and stones to which cattle were tied all indicate that ceremonies similar to those that took place at Ggantija were held here.

The Tarshien temple complex is actually three temples in one. Although Tarsjen has survived to this day much worse than Ggantija and Hagar Quim, its ruins still make an impressive impression.

In front of everyone who enters the third and last of the temples, there is an apse in which the lower part of the colossal statue of the goddess has been preserved. Its original is now kept in National Museum in the capital of Malta, La Valletta, and its exact copy is installed in the temple. The surviving part of the statue consists of the lower part of a pleated skirt, from under which the bare feet of the goddess are visible. The entire statue, according to researchers, reached a height of about 2.7 m.

Next to this colossus stands a stone altar, intricately decorated with spiral ornaments. In the front of the altar there is a hole at the bottom, which was tightly blocked with stone. When archaeologists cleared it, they found numerous animal bones and horns and a flint sacrifice knife - the latter being an important element in the religion of the temple builders. Other artifacts reveal the remarkable skill of these prehistoric masons. Thus, in one of the apses of Tarshien a stone bowl was preserved, the height and width of which reached 1 m. It was carved from one block of stone. Numerous altars, carved stone images of animals and spirals, remains of altars - all point to a complex complex religious beliefs ancient Maltese.

The temple builders of Malta not only carefully fit their Cyclopean buildings into the surrounding landscape, but also “tied” them to the heavens. Thus, according to some studies, the Mnajdra temple is directly connected with the days of the summer and winter solstices and the summer and winter equinoxes. On solstice days, the rays of the sun fall directly on the main altar of the sanctuary.

Like many other ancient cultures, the prehistoric inhabitants of Malta made a clear distinction between their own dwellings and the temples - the abodes of the gods. By building temples for the gods, they built them for eternity, while they, just like the ancient Egyptians, built their houses from short-lived materials.

The end of the era of temple builders has a fairly precise date - 2300 BC. e. The civilization that created brilliant cultural monuments disappeared suddenly and inexplicably. Archaeologists have not found any convincing evidence that the civilization of temple builders died as a result of a natural disaster. Studies of numerous human skeletons found on the islands have shown no signs of an epidemic. The hypothesis that peaceful Maltese farmers fell victim to warlike neighbors who landed on the islands also did not find confirmation: new settlers who appeared in Malta at the end of the Bronze Age found empty and abandoned buildings here.

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