Hagar Qim

As you can see, the entrance of Hagar Qim has survived millennia. Trust me, in real it is much more impressive! Hagar Qim is considered the most neatly designed and most carefully assembled facade. The lower part of the facade is, by the way, like a model for the one at Tarxien. That one, however, was less impressive to me.

At Hagar Qim lots of stone carvings have been found, like this model. The original is at the National Museum for Archeology in Valletta.

This four-sided limestone althar is about 75 cm. high. Each site shows in low relief a plant growing from a pot and flanked by two projecting pilasters. The surfaces are decorated with round drilled pittings. Again, this is a model.

These mushroom shaped althars are next to a passageway. The original meaning of them is unknown to me as yet.

One of the inner rooms. I was especially touched by the way the stones fit so well with each other.

As well in Tarxien as here, at Hagar Qim, a smaller temple was found: the outer temple. Again: I have not found a satisfying explanation for these smaller temples. It is remarkable, however, that all these outer temples seem to be in worse shape than the bigger ones.

Hagar Qim means 'standing stones' in Malti. This might explain the name....

When I saw this one, I was expecting to see Obelix coming to pick up his menhir, any moment. But nope, I didn't see him. :)

At the right site of the entrance, this huge stone forms a wall. This is the biggest megalith found at the templesites. It's 6.4 meters high, 7 meters wide and 60 cm thick and it must weigh over 20 tons. Imagine that piece not being properly put into place....