Ta' Hagrat Temples

In the Maltese village of Mġarr, you can find the remains of a stone temple that is one of the oldest known religious sites in the world. Known as Ta’ Ħaġrat, made up of a megalithic temple that dates back to the Ġgantija phase (3600–3200 B.C.) and an irregularly shaped lobed structure from the later Saflieni phase (3300–3000 B.C.). The temple has a huge trilithon entrance and three apses branching off from a central courtyard.

As with the other Maltese Neolithic monuments, the temple’s facade is concave, with a stone bench that runs along the building to either side of the main entrance. It is built entirely out of Upper Coralline limestone and sits on the slope of a fertile valley. A small stone model of a temple was excavated from the site and is now housed in the National Museum of Archaeology in Valletta.

Ta’ Ħaġrat is one of the smaller Maltese temple sites, but its beautiful rural views, impressive megalithic entrance, and daunting stone facade make it well worth the visit. It’s walking distance from the Skorba temples, as well as from some very good examples of the mysterious “cart ruts.”