Hagar Qim

The site of one of the largest of the Maltese temple complexes, in southwest Malta. It contains three separate temples, constructed over a considerable period of time. The buildings have numerous altars of various shapes and a variety of niches and recesses. Many of the stones have pitted decoration. A cult centering around rock-cut collective tombs has been dated 2400 BC.

One of the largest of the Maltese temple complexes, situated in the southwest of the island. It contains three separate temples, constructed over a considerable period of time. It is unique among the temples in that the softer of the two available local limestones, the globigerina limestone, was used throughout, even for the outer walls and facade, for which the harder coralline limestone was usually preferred; as a result the stones of the outer wall of Hagar Qim have been reduced by weathering to strange and fantastic shapes. The buildings are provided with numerous altars of various shapes and a variety of niches and recesses. Many of the stones have pitted decoration.