The Hagar Qim temple is on the main island of Malta and is close to a second megalithic temple, the Mnajdra, near the coast. As with all the other temples of Malta, the big question is whether this ‘temple’ really was a place of worship or that there was some other purpose.

The architecture is typical for all temples on Malta: a ground pattern that resembles a clover-leaf with separate walls of megalithic slabs at a distance of a few metres. This space in between the two walls is filled with sand and stone rubble. Together this makes a solid wall which still stands after many millennia.
The width to length ratio is roughly 30 to 40 meters and some of the megalithic slabs are more than 6 meters high. It is unclear whether it was ever roofed. The walls seem unsuited to the bearing of heavy megalithic roof plates.

Long ago in 1839 this temple was excavated. The temple is said to date from the timeframe 3300 – 2500 BC but one should place a big question mark next to it since the basis for this dating has never been recorded scientifically.

There are many questions surrounding this temple. Why is this temple here, on an island, far away from populated areas? Or is it possible that this island was once part of the mainland? And who quarried and transported the enormous slabs?

It doesn’t make sense. More in ref. Mayrhofer and Zammit.