MNAJDRA ARCHAEOLOGICAL PARK

Situated on a rugged stretch of Malta's south coast, it's around 500 m from Ħaġar Qim, two World Heritage sites. It has three structures built around an open space. The oldest is the small three-lobed structure on the right, while the southern and central structures were built later.

In the southern structure, you can see how each row of blocks projects slightly inwards, shortening the room's span and facilitating roofing. This structure also features a particular alignment with the rising sun during the spring and autumn equinoxes. On these days, the rays of the rising sun pass through the main door and into the central axis, illuminating the innermost central apse. On the solstices of June and December, the first rays of the sun illuminate the edge of two decorated megaliths to the left (June) and right (December) of the central door linking the first pair of chambers to the inner ones.

The central structure is built on a platform and has a simpler layout than the one below. At the opposite end of the entrance is a covered niche, and along the left wall, close to it, is the entrance to another room. Part of the site's charm lies in the fact that no modern developments are visible, so it can still be appreciated in its original setting. The type of stone available on the surface in this part of the landscape has directly influenced the materials used in the construction of the sites. Here, both globigerite and the more resistant coralline limestone are readily available, and both are used in the structure. The exterior of the site is built in coralline limestone, which is more resistant to the elements. For the interior walls, softer globigerine limestone was used. This enabled the builders to carve smooth, evenly-shaped megaliths that fit together perfectly.

Like nearbyĦaġar Qim, Mnajdra was recently covered with a shelter to protect it from the elements and help preserve it for future generations. A number of artefacts, including fragments of pottery vessels and flint utensils, have been discovered at these sites. These provide additional information about the people who created these monuments and are on display at the National Museum of Archaeology in Valletta.