Ggantija Temples 
Exterior wall of a Ggantija Temple. Photo
Kevin Allen.
Close-up view of the back wall, noted for its great structural integrity achieved without mortar. Photo
D Wagwood.
Passageway with restoration work in December 2008. Photo
norim.
Passageway inside a Ggantija Temple. Photo
Scott Partee.
Another interior view. Photo
Juliette Melton.
Ancient altars in the "Holy of Holies" at Ggantija. Photo
Boris Gass.
Altars. Photo
peuplier.
View through a round hole. Photo
Nicolas Patte.
Roller stones that may have helped haul megaliths. Photo
peuplier.
The Ggantija Temples are two prehistoric temples on Gozo, the second-largest island in Malta. One of them is the oldest stone structure in the world, predating Stonehenge and the Great Pyramids by hundreds of years. Round in shape and containing statues of full-figured goddesses, the Ggantija temples were dedicated to the Great Earth Mother and probably included an oracle. The site was a place of pilgrimage for the ancient inhabitants of Malta.
History
The two temples of Gjantija are estimated to be 5,800 years old (built between 3600 and 3000 BC). According to an ancient legend, the temple walls were built in one day and one night by a female giant named Sunsuna, who did it while nursing a baby. Ggantija is Maltese for "giant's grotto."
According to archaeologists, the Ggantija temples were dedicated to the Great Earth Mother, a goddess of fertility. Evidence indicates there was an oracle here, as at the much-later Temple of Apollo at Delphi. A priestess prophesied while in a trance, possessed by the spirit of the goddess. Ggjantija also seems to have been a place to pray for healing.
In ancient times, the temples dedicated to the Mother Goddess at Ggantija drew pilgrims from across the island and even from North Africa and Sicily.
What to See
In addition to being the oldest, the Gjantija temples are the most complete shrine complexes on Malta. The two temples cover a total of 10,000 square feet. They are surrounded by a common wall, which reaches up to 17 feet, and they share a forecourt.
As with many megalithic sites, it is hard to imagine how these ancient peoples were able to hoist stones weighing several tons into place. The slabs may have been rolled into place on "roller stones" about the size of cannon balls, which have been found on the site.
The Ggjantija complex is characterized by round, curved architecture, reflecting a powerful, full-figured Mother Goddess. The two shrines themselves suggest the body of the Earth Mother, with broad hips and full breasts. The ritual rooms are round, and it is thought that the priestess entered symbolically into her Mother's womb and returned reborn. The temples were roofed with great domes, painted in red on the inside.
Each temple consists of five apses connected by a central corridor that leads to the innermost trefoil section. The first temple to be built is larger and has niches with altars, relief carvings and libation holes. The second has none of these features.
The large common forecourt may have been where congregations gathered to attend rituals, while the inner rooms of the temple were reserved for the priestess.
Many of the doorway slabs have round holes carved in them. The purpose of these is uncertain, but they may have held wooden rods on which fabric was draped to create curtains or screens. More holes can be seen in some floor slabs, but these do not go all the way through and were almost certainly libation holes for holding liquid offerings.
The altars in the larger temple are trilithons; that is, made of three stones to form a vertical surface. There is evidence of animal sacrifice on these altars, most of which have been reconstructed. Another interesting feature is the evidence of a sacred fire - a stone hearth, some paving stones of which have been reddened by fire, can be seen on the floor of the inner right-hand niche of the larger temple.
A few artifacts have been found at the site, which are now displayed in the national museum. They include a small clay figure of a full-figured sleeping goddess that was found in an egg-shaped chamber. Some architectural decoration can still be seen in its original position in the temple, including three stone blocks with spiral carvings and several stones with decorative pitting.
Quick Facts
Site Information |
| Names: | Ggantija Temples; Place of the Giants |
| Location: | Gozo Island, Malta |
| Faith: | Prehistoric |
| Dedication: | Earth Mother |
| Category: | Temples; World Heritage Sites |
| Status: | ruins |
| Date: | 3600-3200 BC |
| Architecture: | Neolithic |
| Features: | Oldest |
Visitor Information |
| Coordinates: | 36.0472° N, 14.2689° E (view on Google Maps) |
| Lodging: | View hotels near this location |
| Address: | Temples Street, Xaghra XRA 2161 Gozo, Malta |
| Phone: | +356 21 553 194 |
| Website: | www.heritagemalta.org/sites/sites.html |
| E-mail: | See contact form on website |
| Opening hours: | Daily 9am-5pm (last admission 4:30pm) Closed: Dec 24-25, Dec 31, Jan 1, Good Friday |
| Cost: | €8 adults; €6 concessions; €4 children (6-11 yrs) |
| Photography: | Permitted |
| Parking: | Parking is easily accessible close to the complex |
Location Map
Below is a location map and aerial view of Ggantija Temples. Using the buttons on the left, zoom in for a closer look or zoom out to get your bearings. Click and drag the map to move around. For a larger view, see our Malta Map.
Article Sources
Article written by Holly Hayes with reference to the following sources:
- Norbert C. Brockman, Encyclopedia of Sacred Places
(Oxford University Press, 1998), 89-90.
- Ggantija Temples - Heritage Malta
- Ggantija Temples - Visit Malta
- Plan of Ggantija - Planetware (Baedecker)
- Megalithic Temples of Malta - UNESCO World Heritage List
More Information
- J.D. Evans, Malta (1959).
- Marija Gimbutas, The Civilization of the Goddess: The World of Old Europe
(1991).
- Merlin Stone, When God Was a Woman (1976).
- Peg Streep, Sanctuaries of the Goddess: The Sacred Landscapes and Objects
(1994).
- Geoffrey Aquilina Ross, Blue Guide Malta and Gozo, 5th ed. (2000).
- Karen Tate, Sacred Places of Goddess
(2006).
Last updated on August 3, 2009.
