“Better than Stonehenge” said a number of the TripAdvisor reviews. As someone who had found Stonehenge a bit “hand-off” and thence disappointing, I was keen to give its Maltese rivals a try. Hagar Qim and Mnajdra (pron. Hajar Een and M-nigh-dra) are two Neolithic temple ruins, located near to Malta International Airport. I had an afternoon flight one Sunday, so set off to see what all the rave reviews where about. The bus ride itself is quite interesting, with one stop outside a beautiful typical Maltese church (a double-tower frontage), a coastal road and a stop near the famous Blue Grotto. From the bus stop, the site is not very imposing; a small sign and a large white tent visible from the roadside. This, it transpires, is a protective coating part-funded by the European Union, to protect the remains from sun and rain damage, as well as the effects of extreme temperature change. You start at the visitor centre, where a 4D film regularly plays and there is also a small museum which gives information about how the temples function as calendars and what is known about their builders and function (as with Stonehenge, very little). This was my first experience of a 4D film (3D visual with some sensory extras) and I enjoyed it. It was quite moving when the temples fell into decay! I was the only English person in my showing, a large Italian tour group having arrived, and they all enjoyed it as well, although the limited text in the film is all in English.
Leaving he visitor centre, you walk up a path to Hagar Qim first. If you have the audioguide, you follow the numerical order of the listening points (although there’s nothing to stop you mixing it up if you’re feeling particularly rebellious). The audioguide indicates highlights such as the 4m megalith, and the huge 20 tonne stone used for one wall (noting that to keep the stone whole serves no practical purpose, and inviting listeners to imagine what the builders’ motivation in doing things the hard way might be). Around Hagar Qim you can also see three smaller sets of ruins from other temples built around the main complex. There is also an area where it seems that worship took place outside the main temple. Inside, you can see various room set-ups, and there is a replica of an altar table which is now housed in a museum in Valletta.
From Hagar Qim, you walk along a steep but level path through some rocky, bushy hillside. There are nature trails either side of the path for anyone interested, and you get a good view of a military watchtower and the smallest island in the Maltese archipelago as you walk along. Mnajdra seemed a bit smaller than Hagar Qim and there weren’t any of the very big stones. However, it has lots of interesting little rooms, including one surrounded by pitted decorations on the walls. It goes over two levels and the upper level has smaller stone walls, giving it a more varied feel than Hagar Qim.
One of the best things about this visit is that you can walk right through both temples. It’s an amazing feeling to be standing where the original builders may have stood, even if we don’t know who they were or what they were doing. For me, this is a very strong contrast with the typical UK experience of ruins, where everything is roped off and kept out of reach of hoi polloi.
You leave Mnajdra and head back via a different path which takes you past the site restaurant, which apparently specialises in Maltese cuisine (there was no menu outside so I can’t confirm that). If you want more choice, you can walk back along the road to the Blue Grotto area. There are numerous cafes, ice cream parlours and restaurants there, serving Maltese and tourist food. The walk took me around 20 minutes, along the main road and there was no pavement at points (so perhaps not comfortable for wheelchair users or pushchairs). You get a good view of the rocky hills leading to the grotto, and the sea. It seems like you ought to be able to cut across the hills to get to the grotto, but both times when I left the main road for what looked like paths, I ended up cut off and having to backtrack.
Practical
Get there: Bus 201 from Malta airport (one per hour, check times at www.publictransport.com.mt). It takes around 20 minutes to stop Hagar.
Cost: €10 for entry to both temples and 4D film in visitor centre. €1 for audioguide (recommended – you need to leave a deposit of photo ID or €20).
Time: 1.5 hours is ample to buy tickets, watch the 4D film, and walk around both temples with pauses for the audioguide (unless you’re a slow walker).
