Ħaġar Qim

Ħaġar Qim (pronounced Hajar ' iim ) is one of the five major Maltese temple complexes and is, together with the nearby temple of Mnajdra, south of Qrendi on a plateau high above the Mediterranean.

Description

In this temple complex there are the remains of four temples that have arisen 3600-2500 BC, including the Südtempel best preserved. He is on the one hand while at the beginning of the temple phase, but was there in its present form by various conversions in the late phase and is a one of Malta agglutinative temple. Ceramic finds prove its use from the Mgarr - phase throughout the temple culture in the history of Malta.

The original, in his maple leaf shape still recognizable temple was in the central part (yellow -A2), in the upper apse, provided with a second input, and profaned it. This demonstrates the substantial removal of the floor panels in this area. The left bay area this temple part was extended to the left by a corridor that allows internal access to the temple Part B. This apparently replaces the space in the bay area A2, so that the red-yellow range can be considered as a unit. The temple also has B again the previously usual, against much older plants only rudimentary head altar (but no second room bay and not have a separate entrance). The Temple C, D and E have separate exterior entrances, but are interior compared to the old one, visible in the temple A1 -A2 form, structured differently.

In the front part of the A1 Alttempels two decorated with Farnrelief altar blocks and the Venus of Malta were found. His two room bays or apses divided by closed Megalithreihen that are merely window-like openings that probably had the same function now approached the oracle niche. The associated with the transformation of religious upheaval apparently also meant that people now had access to small, open outer temples (F) and the so-called oracle niche. It has an opening to the temple part (A2 ) was not as prophesied by, but offerings were thrown into the temple, which accumulated in the red dashed area which was enclosed by a low stone barrier. The fact that it was a mostly connected with disputes action, show remains of figurative representations in the gray shaded area (G ) were found. This part was once inaccessible by the (gray ) filling the gusset areas, so that here again secondarily related ( discarded ) stone images were no longer visible. The temples were built of limestone globigerinem. The facade of the entire complex was surrounded by a bank for depositing altar of offerings, the usual Exedra has been completely replaced. In addition to the outer eastern temple (F), at the oracle niche is the largest monolith has ever been used in a Maltese temple facade. He is 3 m high, 6.40 m long and weighs about 20 tons. There is a megalithic standing height of 5.20 m on the north side.

Research

The plant has always been the inhabitants of Malta through free-standing stones known, but it was completely exposed with systematic archaeological excavations only since 1839. 1992 Ħaġar Qim was declared jointly with other Bronze Age temples of Malta, as the Megalithic Temples of Malta, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. 2009 was the investment of Ħaġar Qim, as well as the neighboring Mnajdra, covered to protect against harmful environmental influences with a dome tent, which should remain for the time of restoration over the next 20 to 25 years.