MaltaThe enigma of prehistory Key sites and museums In The Museum of Archaeology burial and worship, because several altars Housed within the Auberge de and libation holes were found there. Provence, this museum brings The famous "Sleeping Lady", now exhibited at together a number of beautiful the Museum of Archaeology in , was and rare collections of objects found at the Hypogeum. recovered from , prehistoric, Punic and Roman sites. Temples This four-temple complex is the most intricately decorated of all Ghar Dalam Cave and Museum the temples in Malta. It was This cave is a veritable depository of semi- built between circa 2700 fossilised remains of a number of animals, such and 2000 BC. Several decorate as dwarf elephants and hippopotami. This objects, statuettes, pottery proves that Malta was attached to Sicily and the items and bas reliefs were European continent. This cave provided shelter discovered there. The most striking are the to the Island’s first inhabitants, when they superb spiral motifs. landed here in 5000 BC. St. Paul’s Catacombs Hagar Qim Temples These catacombs are typical of the underground This is one of the most Christian cemeteries common in the 4th and 5th spectacular megalithic temples century AD. A striking feature is the presence of in Malta, thanks to its position round stone tables ("agape" tables), round which overlooking the open sea. parents and friends ate a farewell meal in honour The massive walls are particularly of the one who had just died. impressive. The temples date back to circa 3200 BC. Museum of Roman History and Antiquities – The Roman Villa Temples This museum is housed within an old Roman Mnajdra is only 500 metres away from Hagar villa and contains many valuable Qim and like its twin temple occupies a site of remains, like lamps and glass exceptional beauty. Its circular spaces, and gold objects. Definitely chambers, pediments and passage-ways of worth seeing are the beautifully pitted stone prove that the builders of these preserved mosaics. stone marvels left nothing to chance when they planned and built them in circa 3200 BC. The Hal Saflieni Hypogeum This fascinating underground monument, hewn out of rock in circa 2400 BC, is considered to be an invaluable site within the framework of world archaeology. The numerous remains excavated there show that it was used for The enigma of prehistory

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14 In Malta 8 St. Agatha’s Catacombs, Rabat 9 Museum of Roman History and Antiquities – 1 National Museum of Archaeology, Valletta The Roman Villa 2 10 Clapham Junction (cart ruts) (2700 – 2000 BC) – Tarxien 11 Cart ruts at San Pawl tat-Targa 3 Hal Saflieni Hypogeum 12 Roman remains and church at San Pawl Milqi (circa 3000 BC), Paola 13 Roman Baths 4 Ghar Dalam Cave and Museum 14 Ta’ Hagrat Temples (circa 5000 BC) 5 Borg in- Temple In 6 Hagar Qim and Mnajdra Temples A Museum of Archaeology - Victoria (3200 BC) B Ggantija Temples, Xaghra 7 St. Paul’s Catacombs, Rabat C Brocktorff Circle

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In Malta National Museum of Archaeology: Valletta Tarxien Temples: Tarxien Ghar Dalam Cave and Museum Hagar Qim and Mnajdra Temples St. Paul’s Catacombs: Rabat Museum of Roman History and Antiquities – Roman Villa

Open every day (except Public Holidays): Monday to Saturday: 8.15 a.m. to 5.00 p.m. Summer opening hours (16/06 to 30/09): Monday to Sunday: 7.45 a.m. to 2.00 p.m.

In Gozo Museum of Archaeology: The Citadel - Victoria Ggantija Temples: Xaghra

Open from Monday to Saturday: 8.30 a.m. to 4.30 p.m. (01/10 to 31/3) 8.30 a.m. to 6.30 p.m. (01/04 to 15/06 and 16/09 to 30/09) 8.30 a.m. to 7.00 p.m. (16/06 to 15/09) Sundays: 8.30 a.m. to 3.00 p.m. In Malta 8 St. Agatha’s Catacombs, Rabat 9 Museum of Roman History and Antiquities – 1 National Museum of Archaeology, Valletta The Roman Villa 2 Tarxien Temples 10 Clapham Junction (cart ruts) (2700 – 2000 BC) – Tarxien 11 Cart ruts at San Pawl tat-Targa 3 Hal Saflieni Hypogeum 12 Roman remains and church at San Pawl Milqi (circa 3000 BC), Paola 13 Roman Baths 4 Ghar Dalam Cave and Museum 14 Ta’ Hagrat Temples (circa 5000 BC) 5 Borg in-Nadur Temple In Gozo 6 Hagar Qim and Mnajdra Temples A Museum of Archaeology - Victoria (3200 BC) B Ggantija Temples, Xaghra 7 St. Paul’s Catacombs, Rabat C Brocktorff Circle

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In Gozo MALTA TOURIST OFFICE - UK The Museum of Archaeology Unit C, Park House, This museum is housed in Casa Bondi’, a 17th 14 Northfields century house inside the Citadel in Victoria. London SW18 1DD It contains the oldest remains found in Gozo Tel: (44) 020 7292 4900 (4000 BC), as well as Punico-Greek vases, Roman Fax: (44) 020 7734 1880 amphorae and Arab funerary tablets. [email protected] Ggantija A group of two very important MALTA TOURIST OFFICE - Canada / USA temples erected side by side on 65, Braodway Suite 823, the Xaghra plateau circa 3600 BC. New York This makes them older than the NY 10006 pyramids of Egypt (2800 BC) Tel. : (1) 212 430 3799 and in England Fax:(1) 425 7953425 (2400 BC). The stone slabs weigh E-mail : [email protected] several tons and the outside walls are up to six metres high. According to local legend, a giant called Sansuna carried them on her head all the MALTA TOURISM AUTHORITY way from Ta’ Cenc, a fair distance away. Other Auberge d’Italie sites worth visiting are the at Qala and Merchants Street, the ones at Tal-Qighan and Ta’ Marziena. At Ta’ Valletta CMR 02-Malta Cenc, you can observe and wonder about the long Tel: (356) 22915000 deep troughs in the rock, known as cart ruts. In Fax: (356) 22915893 spite of several theories, their origin remains E-mail: [email protected] an enigma. The Brocktorff Circle www.visitmalta.com This is an ensemble of natural caves clearly modified by man. They were discovered and explored by Brocktorff in 1785. Excavations have unearthed a number of funerary remains (4200 – 2500 BC), as well as several interesting objects, the most important of which are a number of stylised figurines.

All information in this factsheet is subject to change without prior notice. ENG-03