Idea #781 – Discovering Ggantija in Gozo, one of the oldest monuments in the world
The site of the temples of Ggantija (Ġgantija “tower of the giants” in Maltese) in Gozo has been known for a very long time: it was designated as an ancient site in 1770, during Jean-Pierre Houël’s first trip to Malta. “This tower of the giants is only the remains of a building which I believe to be of the highest antiquity. It certainly predates the buildings that the Greeks built on this island. »
This temple could have been founded around 5000 BC, which would make it perhaps one of the oldest monumental constructions in the world. Indeed, its construction precedes by almost 300 years the first continental megalithic construction of Barnenez in Finistère (4,700 to 4,300 BC), by 1,000 years the alignments of Carnac (4,000 BC .-C.), the 2,200-year-old Stonehenge temple (2,800 to 1,100 BC)
The remains currently visible belong to a more recent reconstruction, corresponding to a third phase, between 3,600-3,000 BC. An enclosure encloses two adjoining temples, which occupy an area of 50 meters by 35 meters. Some blocks forming the fence are colossal: the largest measures 5.70 meters by 3.80 meters, for an estimated weight of 50 tons! The blocks are arranged alternately, between face slab and standing slab, in order to ensure better structural stability.
The southern temple, 28 meters by 24 meters is clover-shaped. It possibly dates back to 4,100 BC in its earliest form. The entrance is preceded by a room with a double apse, dated 3600 BC. The northern temple, 20 meters by 18 meters, is made up of two successive rooms, with a double apse. It would have been built later. The back room has a niche in place of the traditional front apse.
The first excavations were carried out in 1827 and the site was enclosed only in 1956. In 1980, Unesco classified the temple of Ġgantija as a world heritage site.
Some Pictures
Where is it ?
Ġgantija Temple, Xagħra, Malta