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The mysteries of Hagar Qim in Malta

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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.

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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.

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?

Malta Hagar Qim
A doorway with a hole for a door. What was once behind here?
Hagar Qim Malta
Hagar Qim - what happened here?

More questions than answers

While there are some answers, there are more questions. What were these people doing behind the closed doors of the temple? Was there any kind of hierarchy in society, and what was it like? Who were the fat people depicted, and in what context were the statues with detachable heads used?

And then, of course, you wonder why civilisation suddenly disappeared. Around 2500 years before Christ, they stopped building more temples and everything was gone. Did they die in a natural disaster? Was there drought and famine? Did they sail somewhere else? Nobody knows, but it certainly sparks the imagination to wonder...

Katter på Malta
Some cats lounging outside the temple in Hagar Qim.

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.

Hagar Qim Malta
The Hagar Qim temple has been covered with a roof to protect it from the elements.

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

All our top tips from Malta. Click on the image!

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