Ggantija Temples, Gozo 
Ancient niches in the "Holy of Holies" at Ggantija. Photo by Boris Gass.
Aerial view of Ggantija temples. Photo © MaltaVista.net.
Passageway. Photo © MaltaVista.net.
A round hole. Photo by Nicolas Patte..
Location map and aerial view of the Ggantija Temples. For a larger view,
see our Malta Map or get our free Google Earth download.
Ggantija is the site of two prehistoric temples on Gozo, the second-largest island in Malta. One of the Ggantija temples 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.
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.
Quick Facts
| Names: | Ggantija Temples |
| Type of site: | Prehistoric temple; goddess shrine; megalithic temple |
| Dates: | 3600-3000 BC |
| Size: | Total area of the two temples: 10,000 sq ft; stones weigh several tons (some 50+); walls as high as 17 feet |
| Location: | Xaghra plateau, Gozo island, Malta |
| Phone: | 21 553194 |
| Hours: | Daily 9-5 (last admission 4:30). Closed Dec. 24, 25, 31, Jan 1, Good Friday |
| Cost: | Lm 1.50c (€3.75) |
Sources
- Norbert C. Brockman, Encyclopedia of Sacred Places
(Oxford University Press, 1998), 89-90.
- Ggantija Temples - Heritage Malta
- Ggantija Temples - Visit Malta
- Megalithic Temples of Malta - UNESCO World Heritage List
- 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).
