Ġgantija Temples
Two Neolithic megalithic temples on Gozo, among the oldest free-standing buildings in the world.
Ġgantija stands on the Xagħra plateau on Gozo and consists of two temples enclosed by a single boundary wall of coralline limestone. Radiocarbon dates place the southern temple at around 3600 BC, making the complex one of the oldest free-standing stone monuments anywhere, older than the pyramids of Giza. Some of the outer blocks are more than five metres long, which gave rise to the Maltese name, from ġgant, meaning giant, and to the folk belief that a giantess built the walls.
Each temple follows the clover-leaf plan typical of Maltese prehistory, with apses opening off a central corridor and softer globigerina limestone used for doorways, thresholds and altars. Traces of red ochre plaster show that interiors were once painted. The site forms part of the UNESCO World Heritage listing of the Megalithic Temples of Malta, and visits begin at an interpretation centre that displays Neolithic finds from Gozo before a path leads down to the temples.
Highlights
- Southern temple dated to around 3600 BC
- Boundary wall blocks over five metres long
- Clover-leaf apse plan with carved thresholds and altars
- Interpretation centre showing Neolithic finds from Gozo
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