HAGAR QIM

A World Heritage Site, Ħaġar Qim stands on a hill overlooking the sea and the islet of Fifla, less than 2 km southwest of Qrendi. It is reached by a pleasant road, lined with oleanders, prickly pears, acacias and Pittosporum tobira, which passes over the cliff. There is a large parking lot which can be used by park visitors. A visitor center houses a small interpretation area, with information on these sites. The Ħaġar Qim site consists of a group of megalithic structures built around 5,000 years ago. It was excavated in 1839. Today, these buildings are generally referred to as temples. However, we know very little about what went on inside them. Its main building is unusual in that it has several doors facing in different directions. Archaeologists believe that the building originally had a roof. It was here that the figurine known as the Venus of Malta was discovered: a small statue measuring around twenty centimetres, with a heavy chest and narrow hips. You can admire it at the National Museum of Archaeology in Valletta. Ħaġar Qim was recently covered by a protective shelter and the contrast with the ancient stones is quite surprising... But don't be fooled by the artistic effect: the tent serves only to protect the site from the elements, helping to preserve it for future generations.

You begin your visit with the monumental façade of the complex. Concave in shape, it's made up of imposing monolithic blocks and features a monumental entrance in the middle, common to many of the island's Neolithic megalithic buildings. Once through the entrance, you'll find yourself in an inner courtyard. Note that the courtyard floor is made of megalithic flagstones. To the left of the walkway are a finely carved sculpture resembling a tree and a slab with spiral motifs. You can see the original slab with spirals at the Visitor Centre, while the other is on display at Valletta's National Museum of Archaeology.

On either side of the courtyard is a screen with a door carved from a single megalith. These doors lead into circular rooms or apses. Note how the doors are positioned so that, if you're in one room, you can't see across the corridor into the opposite room. Continuing along the path, on the right is a room that marks the solstice (first day of summer) in June. At sunrise, rays of light pass through a hole that opens onto this room and project a disk of light onto a stone slab at the entrance to the apse. Over time, the disc becomes a crescent, then elongates into an ellipse until it finally sinks out of sight as if into the ground. To the left, a space opens onto several other chambers. A group of seated stone figures was found here behind the modern steps nearby. You can see one of these statues at the Visitor Centre.
Perched atop the cliff, Ħaġar Qim offers a very pretty view of the sea. As you walk down the Mnajdra path, on your left, you'll see a commemorative plaque that recalls the memory of an English governor who was buried in the sea between this point and the islet of Filfla, as he wished.