Visit the Ggantija Temples

When you think of old monuments – and I mean really old – the ones that first come to mind are places like Stonehenge or the Egyptian Pyramids.

These are places where you marvel at not just the design but the engineering skills that enabled humans to build such difficult monuments all those thousands of years ago.

And then there are the not so famous. It wasn’t until I was in Malta that I first heard about the Ggantija Temples – they’re not really on the bucket list of most travellers, right?

But these structures were, in fact, built before both Stonehenge and the Giza Pyramids. It’s estimated they were constructed in about 3600BC, which makes them the second oldest manmade religious structure in the world (after Gobekli Tepe in Turkey).

More than 5,500 years ago there were humans on this small Mediterranean island with big dreams.

What they managed to create was incredible. That fact that you can still see much of that creation is even more amazing!

While many people who come to Malta – and to Gozo specifically – are here for the sun and the beaches, the history is a fascinating part of the country that I think is worth at least a quick look.

Obviously the Historic Centre of Valletta, another World Heritage Site, gets a lot of the attention from people looking to do some cultural sightseeing, but visiting the Ggantija Temples (or, for that matter, visiting any of Malta’s megalithic temples) offers a nice contrast.

It also doesn’t take too long to explore the site. The Ggantija Temples are not particularly large. But as far as megalithic temples go, these are some of the best preserved in the world.

It means you can take your time looking at the detail… and thinking about what once happened here millennia ago.

Because there is still a lot of mystery about the Ggantija Temples. The main question that is still unanswered is what were they used for?

While it’s fairly obvious that the structures were primarily used for ceremonial and religious purposes, we don’t know many details beyond that.

There’s some evidence there would have been processions and animal sacrifices, and figurines found here suggest a fertility cult. But the buildings may also have aligned with astronomical events, maybe as some kind of ancient calendar to track agricultural cycles.

These are the kind of mysteries you can think about when you visit the Ggantija Temples. But before I share my tips on coming here, I thought it might be helpful to have a quick look at the site’s history.

History of the Ggantija Temples

The Ggantija Temples were constructed between 3600 and 3200 BC, during the Neolithic period, making them some of the oldest freestanding stone structures in the world.

What’s particularly interesting is that this was done during a time when metal tools were not being used in this part of the world and the wheel had not yet been invented.

The name – Ggantija – actually comes from the Maltese word for ‘giant’ because local legend says the temples could only have been built by giants.

In reality, there are marks on some of the stones that suggest how the huge slabs were moved and arranged – perhaps with ball bearings or pulleys.

The temples were built by ancient farmers who had arrived on the islands of Malta from Sicily about 2000 years earlier. Over time, their basic farming lifestyle, based around small villages, grew into a unique culture.

From within this culture grew a religion, which we don’t know much about today but is represented in the buildings here. First came the larger of the two Ggantija temples, built in 3600 BC, while the second smaller one is from 3300 BC.

Both temples have a cloverleaf floor plan. They were built with massive limestone blocks that weigh more than 50 tons. Being able to put them together without any mortar is an amazing feat of engineering for the time (especially considering how long they have survived!).

You can see the ingenuity which went into the construction, and there are some small details like a platform and a hearth. But this is not how it would have looked all those thousands of years ago. Small figurines were found during the excavation which suggest it was once decorated.

There’s also evidence that makes researchers think the temples would have had roofs and possibly the walls were plastered and painted.

Once it would have been used for rituals – possibly, as I mentioned, with large gatherings, processions, and animal sacrifices. Would they have been during the day, or would there have been ceremonies here at night, lit only by fire?

The Ggantija Temples were used for more than a millennium, with the last ceremonies probably taking place here around 2500 BC (more than 4500 years ago!).

It’s not really clear why the site was abandoned, but there are several theories including climate changes, resource depletion, or social upheaval.

It wasn’t until 1827 that the site was rediscovered. During British rule, the lieutenant governor of Gozo was clearing the land here and found the large rocks that led to the temples being uncovered.

Archaeological work took place at the Ggantija Temples in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, which allowed researchers to learn a lot more about the Neolithic people who lived here.

It led to more archaeological work on the other megalithic temples on Malta. And it has provided fascinating detail about the history of the country.

The Ggantija Temples were named as one of Malta’s World Heritage Sites in 1980.

Other Megalithic Temples of Malta

Across the two islands of Malta and Gozo, there are actually seven separate structures that together make up a World Heritage Site called the ‘Megalithic Temples of Malta’.

Two of these structures are combined into what is called the Ggantija Temples, which is what I’ve been talking about so far.

The other five are all on the island of Malta, as you can see in this map I’ve put together.

Although there are some important similarities between all these ancient temples, there are also some obvious differences. So, I’ll just quickly run you through what you would find if you were to also visit these other temple sites in Malta.

• Hagar Qim: Located on the southern coast of Malta, this temple complex dates from about 3600 – 3200 BC. It is famous for its unique facade that has a monumental doorway flanked by large stone blocks. Inside is a series of oval chambers where ‘fat lady’ statues were found, representing fertility deities.
• Mnajdra: Not far from Hagar Qim, this complex has three conjoined temples dating from 3600 – 2500 BC. Its main feature is its astronomical alignments, lining up with things like equinoxes. Some of the stones are decorated with spiral designs and animal representations.
• Ta’ Hagrat: Dating from 3600 – 3200 BC, there are two adjacent temples here, with the larger one being one of the best preserved from this period. It has an imposing facade while the temples’ interiors show the evolution to more complex designs.
• Skorba: While the temple here is also from 3600 – 3200 BC, this site is different because people lived here from as early as 5000 BC. The structures aren’t as well preserved but archaeological work here has shown how prehistoric people lived and transitioned the site from village to megalithic complex.
• Tarxien: These temples date from 3150 – 2500 BC and were built at the peak of the island’s temple era. The complex is the largest and most elaborately decorated, with four interconnected structure adorned with detailed stone reliefs. Lots of important artefacts have been found here, including a huge statue of a seated fertility figure.

If you have the time, I would definitely recommend trying to visit Tarxien, because it has the most to see and is the easiest to reach, within a few kilometres from the main tourist accommodation areas.

If you want to see even more, then the next best option would be Mnajdra and Hagar Qim, which are very close to each other and are in pretty good states of preservation. They are on the other side of the island, but there are some other sights in the area.

The other two temple complexes, Ta’ Hagrat and Skorba, are the easiest to skip, I think. They unfortunately don’t have as much to see and are the furthest away from the main tourist areas.

Visiting the Ggantija Temples

It’s hot when I visit the temples on the small Maltese island of Gozo. It takes about 45 minutes to walk from the city of Victoria and it’s a shadeless trek along roads that reflect the heat back up into my face.

There apparently is an occasional bus but I decide the walk would be a good way to see some more of the countryside. Although it’s dry on Gozo in summer, much of the landscape is taken up with green crops.

If you’re more sensible than me and would like to catch the bus, there are a few options from around Gozo. The number 307 leaves from Victoria every hour, for instance. You can plan your journey here.

A car is the easiest option and there’s street parking around the site. If you need to hire a car, I recommend using DiscoverCars in Malta.

Perhaps you’re staying on the island of Malta and want a local guide show you around. Well, there are some great tours of Gozo from Malta that include Ggantija Temples.

I would recommend this affordable full-day tour that has a focus on heritage. Or there are some other great tours here:

Once you’re at the Ggantija Temples, there is a small but decent interpretation centre that has information about the Neolithic period on the islands, as well as some significant artefacts found on Gozo.

The actual temple site is relatively small, and I would suggest you don’t need more than about 30 minutes to see it all.

There’s a small shop on site but there is no restaurant or cafe.

A few other bits of useful visitor information:

• There are bicycle racks to secure up to five bikes next to the main entrance.
• There is storage for small pieces of luggage.
• There are toilets (including accessible facilities) at the main entrance and exit building.
• There is a children’s area with colourful furniture and games.
• Much of the site is accessible for wheelchairs, including a ramped access route from the interpretation centre to the temples – but not within much of the inner areas of the monument.
• There are information panels around the site that offer details about the history, flora, and fauna.
• Photographs are allowed without the use of tripods. The use of flash is not allowed inside the Interpretation Centre.

Because this is one of the most important heritage sites in Malta, you’ll discover that quite a lot of effort has been put into the visitor experience. Although there’s not too much infrastructure in the actual temple because of its age, there is quite a lot surrounding it.

For more information, see the official website of the Ggantija Temples.

A visit to the Ggantija Temples won’t take up much of your day, so you can use the rest of the time to explore other parts of Gozo, like the main city of Victoria or the nearby town of Xaghra.

The Ta’Kola Windmill is only a couple minutes walk from the site, but you can also find several caves, one of the most beautiful beaches in the country (Ramla Bay), and plenty of churches nearby.

You might even want to consider a boat tour of Gozo to enjoy the beautiful waters!

If you’re hungry, grab a bite at Al Sale Restaurant or Latini Restaurant, both serving excellent Maltese dishes.