Malta 18 Hagar Qim Neolithic Temple

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Malta
Hagar Qim Neolithic Temple
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Hagar Qim ("Standingg//Worshipping Stones") is a
megalithic temple complex found on the
Mediterranean island of Malta, dating from
3600-3200 BC. The Megalithic Temples of Malta
are among the most ancient religious sites on
Earth, described by the World Heritage Sites
committee as "unique architectural masterpieces"
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The temple of Hagar Qim, stands on a hilltop
overlooking the sea and the islet of Fifla, not
more than 2km south-west of the village of Qrendi
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The surrounding landscape is typical
Mediterranean garigue and spectacular in its
starkness and isolation
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In 1992 UNESCO recognized Hagar Qim and four
other Maltese megalithic structures as World
Heritage Sites
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The Hagar Qim Temple in Qrendi, Malta was
discovered under rubble in 1839, dating from
around 2400-2000 B.C. The largest megalith found
here is some seven metres long and weighs around
20 tons. The excavations also produced many 'fat
figure' statuettes including the naturalistic
'Venus of Malta'
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The temples of Mnajdra and Hagar Qim are covered
by huge structures of open-air shelters that
should protect them from the elements of natural
erosion
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Vere Gordon Childe, Professor of Prehistoric
European Archeology and director of the Institute
of Archaeology in the University of London from
1946-1957 visited Hagar Qim. His observation
was   I have been visiting the prehistoric
ruins all round the Mediterranean, from
Mesopotamia to Egypt, Greece and Switzerland, but
I have nowhere seen a place as old as this one

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Entrance to the megalithic Temple Hagar Qim, an
impressive temple from the Maltese prehistory,
created by huge megaliths and large altars 
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The oldest buildings in Europe are found in Malta
- older than the Pyramids of Egypt
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One of the two 'porthole doorways' cut out of
megaliths just behind the main portal at the main
temple of Hagar Qim. The other 'porthole doorway'
is on the opposite side
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One of the prehistoric chambers at Hagar Qim
holds an elliptical hole which is hewn out in
alignment with the Summer Solstice sunrise. At
sunrise, on the first day of summer, the suns
rays pass through this hole and illuminate a
stone slab inside the chamber. This is also an
acoustic opening called the oracle hole. Sound
passed from the main chamber into the recess, and
vice-versa.
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First excavated in 1839, the remains suggest a
date between 3600 3200 BC, a period known as
the Ggantija phase in Maltese prehistory. Hagar
Qim was in fact never completely buried as the
tallest stones, remained exposed and featured in
18th and 19th century paintings
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This one is the largest single blocks found in
any temple on the Maltese Islands. It is 6.40m
long and estimated weight close to 20 tonnes. The
upright megalith to the right is 5.20m in hight
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Three more chambers form part of this building
but these can only be reached through doorways
along the outer wall. Much of interest has been
unearthed at Hagar Qim, notably stone and clay
statuettes of obese figures which are also found
at the National Museum of Archaeology in Valletta
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During excavations a slab bearing a pair of
opposing spirals in relief and a free-standing
pillar decorated on all four sides were found in
the area. These have been replaced with replicas
on site and the originals can be found at the
National Museum of Archaeology
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One of the stone slabs forming the wall of this
chamber bears two pairs of legs in high relief,
probably forming part of two obese figures
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'Venus of Malta'
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The first inhabitants of Malta left no writing
behind them, only elaborate, sophisticated and
unprecedented stone structures in the form of
temples. These temples, requiring extensive
resources, were clearly an integral and religious
element of their culture.  The archaeological
record shows unequivocally that the Temple
builders disappeared from around 2500 B.C. 
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The Carob Tree (il-Harruba) is quite common on
the Maltese Islands
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The Carob Tree (il-Harruba)
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The carob is one of the Mediterraneans oldest
trees, and grows without care or cultivation,
surviving on meager rainfall. This low-spreading
tree with its characteristic canopy effect is
part and parcel of the Maltese rural landscape
and is protected by law.   The carob is
indigenous to the eastern Mediterranean, and the
Bible is replete with references to what are
likely to be carob-pods, like the pods that the
prodigal son fed to pigs when he wasted his
fathers inheritance and was forced to become a
humble swineherd. The pods are also known as St.
John's bread or locust beans because the pods
were once thought to have been the "locusts" that
were eaten by John the Baptist in the wilderness.
In the past carob seeds were used to weigh gold,
hence the word "carat." During the second World
War, carobs fetched the highest price ever at a
penny a pod. The seeds were ground along with
precious and rare supplies of coffee-beans. In
Malta and Sicily up to fairly recent times, carob
syrup was used to soothe sore throats and ease
coughs.
In Malta the Carob Tree (il-Harruba) could still
be found in its natural habitat
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Carob sweets (il-karamelli) are still popular,
and often sold at Good Friday processions because
they are deemed traditionally to be the only
sweets allowed during Lent, having supposedly
medicinal properties. These sweets are made from
the carob pods. According to an old Sicilian
recipe for Caramelle Di Carrube one needs to
prepare equal amounts of carob pods and honey and
have them boiled together until caramelised. The
mixture is then strained and poured onto an oiled
surface, marked into little squares and allowed
to cool before being cut up into sweets. It is
also used as a vegan substitute of cocoa. Perhaps
the main benefit of carob as a chocolate
substitute is that, unlike cocoa, carob contains
no theobromine or caffeine.
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Text Internet Pictures Sanda Foisoreanu
Gabriela Cristescu
Internet All copyrights belong to
their respective owners Presentation Sanda
Foisoreanu
2017
Sound Ancient Greek Music  Hymn to the
Sun Invocation to Calliope and Apollo
Invitation to Nemesis