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The mysteries of Hagar Qim in Malta

Writer: Helena Bergström

Hagar Qim in Malta and the great mysteries! In a field are a bunch of leftover boulders - the remains of a temple erected here in Malta 3600 years before Christ. It's staggering to think that this is so old, the Egyptians hadn't even started thinking about their pyramids yet.

There are small scattered clues that reveal things about how these people once lived, but much is shrouded in mystery and left to our imaginations. Today we can tell you some really exciting stories from Hagar Qim in Malta. Hagar Qim is a UNESCO heritage site since 1980.

Table of contents

A people with trade and traditions

We know that people at this time were travelling or trading with other peoples - tools made from materials that do not exist in Malta have been found. We also know that they had different traditions. The temple (and all other similar temples in Malta) contains many different rooms. Some appear to have been used for sacrificial rituals and others have doors that can be closed - around what was happening inside.

Malta, Hagar Qim — This was done almost 6000 years ago. impressive!

Many stone figures representing fat people in various positions have also been found. But the figures are usually missing heads. There is only a hole where the heads should be, so that a separate head could be attached to the body. Was this because the figures were given different heads in different contexts, or so that they could be turned in different directions? Or was it perhaps the case that the head of a figure was removed when the corresponding person died?

Hagar Qim Malta — Hagar Qim - what happened here?

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Visiting Hagar Qim today

Many thousands of years have passed since the heyday of Hagar Qim. Much has been destroyed by the passage of time, of course, and even in more modern times, people still came here to collect stone to build their houses. In this way, many of the secrets have been lost forever.

Today, the temple has been fitted with a roof to protect it from the weather and wind. There is also a museum and as an introduction to the visit, you can see a film in 5D (yes, it was raining on us!), where you have to wear super stylish glasses. An attraction that is definitely worth a visit if you ask us.

Do you like to visit places like this? How do you think these people lived and why do you think they suddenly disappeared?

Peter på balkongen i vårt hotellrum på Le Meridien i St Julians

READ MORE: What to do in Malta - 25 experiences and attractions

Helena

09 October 2016 6:00

Malta

history, attraction, Unesco

Helena

Administrator

23 Comments

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Lennart says:

Interesting!
Culture and history are important!

09 October 2016 - 6:42

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Camilla says:

Exciting place! Places like that fascinate me (and the rest of the family). Good to see that you are in place, after the spinal problems.... Have a great time! By the way, my first trip abroad was to Malta. But I don't remember anything about it, I was only three years old then....

09 October 2016 - 6:45

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Geddfish says:

It is super exciting to visit the wings of history, to feel the sacred ground, that people have lived, worked and stayed here.
Have seen a lot in Egypt that fascinated me. Both in Cairo and Luxor.
But the answers? To the questions?
Proximity... let your imagination run wild.
Enjoy 😀 and thanks for the nice pictures!

09 October 2016 - 7:26

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Lena - gott för själen says:

How exciting! I love places like that! I had no idea such things existed there.

Hug Lena

09 October 2016 - 7:40

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Comment by post author

admin says:

Lennart, you always get a little more feeling for a country when you learn about the culture and history, I think!

Camilla, understand that you do not remember anything if you were only three years old 😉 Yes, now we are in place and it is really nice here. Really fantastic weather in October!!!

Geddfish, it's fascinating and almost dizzying to think about what might have happened in the past! We have also been to Luxor, but not to Cairo ...

Lena, we didn't know this before either. Super interesting!

09 October 2016 - 8:25

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Gunnel says:

Sounds very exciting! This was something completely new to me.

09 October 2016 - 8:44

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Steve says:

Places and phenomena that trigger the imagination are certainly exciting.

09 October 2016 - 9:01

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Matts Torebring says:

Very interesting! Sometimes I wonder how you are so well read. Although I understand that you have backup, from those you are travelling with. Have a nice trip.

09 October 2016 - 9:20

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Kors och Tvärs says:

This kind of story really sparks the imagination. What really happened? So we wondered when we visited Citchen Itza in Mexico, why could they keep time? We have to put in a leap day to get "in balance"?

09 October 2016 - 9:33

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Marina says:

I love places like this that spark the imagination. I can walk around there for a long time and since there are no answers to the questions, you can really fantasise freely. By the way, I realise that I have a lot of reading to catch up on about Malta, so I'll be busy for a while.

09 October 2016 - 10:02

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Ditte says:

Thanks for the interesting reading. Have been here but a long, long time ago and probably forgotten most of it. But when I read the text I recognised most of it. Very exciting! I know that I have some photos in an album at home right here from the 1970s.
Yes, there is a lot to think about in this world and let your mind travel back in history.

09 October 2016 - 10:57

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åsa i åsele says:

Interesting and exciting, I like history 🙂 .
Nice to be able to change your head - or body 😉 according to how you feel 😉.
Despite all the progress made, the history of humanity is still partly obscure.

I hope you have a nice Sunday.

09 October 2016 - 11:29

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Rolle o Carina says:

Seems like an interesting journey you are making!

Have fun and enjoy.......

09 October 2016 - 14:07

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Ama de casa says:

There will be many questions... An exciting place! 🙂

09 October 2016 - 16:07

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Deciree says:

What an exciting place that was. You will find many nice places:) Hugs

09 October 2016 - 17:34

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Kattas Betraktelser says:

Oh, how nice to be able to join in on a corner. We did not go there as we only had one day on the island of Malta. Hope your trip was good.

09 October 2016 - 18:20

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BP says:

A place like that really gets your imagination going - a lot! The answers to the questions are likely to be long in coming, if at all.

Personally, I am not very fond of such places. If you've seen one, you've seen them all - well, you know what I mean.

Oh I like the roof over the excavation:-)

09 October 2016 - 18:21

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Comment by post author

admin says:

Gunnel, it was new to us too, and very interesting!

Steve, it's a bit dizzying sometimes trying to imagine what life was like so many thousands of years ago!

Matts, we like to read up, and always try to do so when travelling. Here we also had a guide, which of course makes it easier!

Criss-crossing, well that can be really fascinating! They often seem to have found solutions to all sorts of things!

Marina, we haven't had time to write much about Malta yet, but there's much more to come! 🙂

Ditte, great that you have been here! It's not easy to remember everything, but I've noticed that blogging is good for the memory 😉.

Åsa in Åsele, I would love to change my head when I have a migraine! 😉

Rolle and Carina, super interesting! In addition, fantastically beautiful, lovely climate and good food 🙂 .

Ama de casa, in the end you almost had to stop thinking ... but it was a bit difficult 😉.

Deciree, we had quite high expectations for Malta, yet it has surpassed 🙂 .

Katta, but only one day, I understand that you didn't get to see this. How come you had such a short time in Malta?

BP, sometimes I have also thought so, that it is "just stones". But when someone tells you everything becomes more vivid 🙂 And then, of course, it is lucky that you can choose what you want to look at based on interest 😉.

09 October 2016 - 18:38

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anita wåg agrimanaki says:

Interesting..but surely they must have more knowledge of what it was and what was done there and who lived there, what civilisation it was? I am of course thinking of the Minoans who were here on Crete around 3500-1000 BC. It was also a people and civilisation that just "disappeared". Earthquake? Tsunami?

10 October 2016 - 18:36

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Steel city anna says:

I mostly looked at the cats 🙂 they probably existed already at the time the temple was erected and looked and behaved the same. Maybe it applies to us humans as well, after all these millennia we are still a bit fat and lose our heads sometimes 🙂.

11 October 2016 - 20:08

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Comment by post author

admin says:

Anita, they don't seem to know much actually... We had a guide who told us, and they have no clues to go on other than the stuff left behind. No writing and no carvings in stone or anything like that... How much is known about the Minoans that were on Crete?

Steel city Anna, haha, that's one way to look at it 😉 Yes, the fascinating thing is that people seem to have been quite similar to us. Just in a completely different context and a completely different time ...

11 October 2016 - 21:34

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Lena says:

Interesting and imaginative, you actually have no idea about many things! Thank you for your report with again great pictures!

12 October 2016 - 10:15

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Marias Memoarer says:

Really exciting with such mysteries!!! 🙂 And cute temple cats <3

13 October 2016 - 12:51

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The mysteries of Hagar Qim in Malta

Writer: Helena Bergström

A people with trade and traditions

More questions than answers

Visiting Hagar Qim today

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23 Comments

Lennart says:

Camilla says:

Geddfish says:

Lena - gott för själen says:

admin says:

Gunnel says:

Steve says:

Matts Torebring says:

Kors och Tvärs says:

Marina says:

Ditte says:

åsa i åsele says:

Rolle o Carina says:

Ama de casa says:

Deciree says:

Kattas Betraktelser says:

BP says:

admin says:

anita wåg agrimanaki says:

Steel city anna says:

admin says:

Lena says:

Marias Memoarer says:

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