<< Our Photo Pages >> Tarxien - Ancient Temple in Malta in Mainland
Submitted by enkidu41 on Friday, 11 July 2008 Page Views: 23311
Multi-periodSite Name: Tarxien Alternative Name: Tarxien TemplesCountry: Malta
NOTE: This site is 1.032 km away from the location you searched for.
Island: Mainland Type: Ancient Temple
Nearest Town: Valletta Nearest Village: Tarxien
Latitude: 35.869200N Longitude: 14.512100E
Condition:
5 | Perfect |
4 | Almost Perfect |
3 | Reasonable but with some damage |
2 | Ruined but still recognisable as an ancient site |
1 | Pretty much destroyed, possibly visible as crop marks |
0 | No data. |
-1 | Completely destroyed |
5 | Superb |
4 | Good |
3 | Ordinary |
2 | Not Good |
1 | Awful |
0 | No data. |
5 | Can be driven to, probably with disabled access |
4 | Short walk on a footpath |
3 | Requiring a bit more of a walk |
2 | A long walk |
1 | In the middle of nowhere, a nightmare to find |
0 | No data. |
5 | co-ordinates taken by GPS or official recorded co-ordinates |
4 | co-ordinates scaled from a detailed map |
3 | co-ordinates scaled from a bad map |
2 | co-ordinates of the nearest village |
1 | co-ordinates of the nearest town |
0 | no data |
Internal Links:
External Links:
I have visited· I would like to visit
Veritas larkwort would like to visit
htrismegistus visited on 1st Jan 2024 - their rating: Cond: 2 Amb: 5 Access: 5 Impressive as the other major Malta ruins, but this one as a lot of reliefs and carvings/decorations. Sometimes I wonder if the reliefs and decor were done hundreds of years after these structures were made, as they are not found everywhere.
emerald visited on 1st Nov 2022 - their rating: Cond: 3 Access: 5 Amazing site, now undercover to protect the limestone from further damage. Cared for by Heritage Malta. Audio and guidebook available
Catrinm visited on 17th Mar 2019 - their rating: Cond: 3 Amb: 4 Access: 5 Easily accessible and well worth visiting , not least for the Goddess statue.
43559959 visited on 2nd Jan 2018 - their rating: Cond: 3 Amb: 2 Access: 5
SolarMegalith visited on 20th Mar 2013 - their rating: Cond: 4 Amb: 2 Access: 5
lucy78green visited on 4th Dec 2011 - their rating: Cond: 3 Amb: 4 Access: 5
lscollinson visited on 21st Sep 2007 - their rating: Cond: 2 Amb: 3 Access: 5 Not in the best setting but definitely worth a trip if for the artwork alone.
blackfox visited on 1st Jan 1996 - their rating: Cond: 4 Amb: 5 Access: 4
HChavez visited - their rating: Cond: 3 Amb: 3 Access: 5
sem DrewParsons myf lizh kelpie have visited here
Average ratings for this site from all visit loggers: Condition: 3 Ambience: 3.5 Access: 4.89
The first to be built at the far eastern end was the Small Temple, a 5-apse category but very dilapidated with the only visible remains being the west side.
Next in beyond a square court is the East Temple, a 4-apse temple, which has extraordinarily well-cut slab walls which have been provided with notches for moving. Two oracle holes open to the right. The front door has bar holes and V-perforations and there is a flight of steps apparently leading to either an upper chamber or the roof.
Next along is the third temple, the Middle or Central Temple, a 6-apse category. The 1st pair of apses (on the west) are massively floored but now boarded for protection. These are not mere paving slab but substantial blocks as can be seen by one that has been deliberately lifted for the purpose. The walls are of close-fitting orthostats which, although well preserved, are reddened by the fire which destroyed the building. There is a chamber in the wall to the right which depicts reliefs of two bulls and a sow. The inner part of this temple is cut off with a sill stone (now a replica) decorated with a pair of spirals. The 2nd pair of apses were masked by spiral-decorated screens now in Valletta Museum.
Next along is the final temple, the South Temple, a 4-apse category whose right–hand rear apse was adapted to provide a communicating passage with its neighbour. The doorway has bar holes and V-perforations in the door jambs. The main façade, with a small shrine with libation holes at either end, opened onto a forecourt with a large water cistern at its centre. Only the bench at the foot of the façade is original, all other features, including the doorway, being a modern reconstruction. Inside the doorway is a highly decorated area. This includes a spiral-decorated altar block with niche above on the right, close to it the giant goddess statue (or at least only her lower half !), and in the opposing apse more blocks decorated with spiral spirals and rows of animals. All these too are replicas.
Note: Important archaeological find at Tarxien, see latest comment
You may be viewing yesterday's version of this page. To see the most up to date information please register for a free account.
These are just the first 25 photos of Tarxien. If you log in with a free user account you will be able to see our entire collection.
Do not use the above information on other web sites or publications without permission of the contributor.
Click here to see more info for this site
Nearby sites
Click here to view sites on an interactive map of the areaKey: Red: member's photo, Blue: 3rd party photo, Yellow: other image, Green: no photo - please go there and take one, Grey: site destroyed
Download sites to:
KML (Google Earth)
GPX (GPS waypoints)
CSV (Garmin/Navman)
CSV (Excel)
To unlock full downloads you need to sign up as a Contributory Member. Otherwise downloads are limited to 50 sites.
Turn off the page maps and other distractions
Nearby sites listing. In the following links * = Image available
493m W 277° Hal Saflieni Hypogeum* Ancient Temple
919m NNW 343° Kordin III* Ancient Temple
2.7km NE 43° il-Kalkara Cart Ruts* Ancient Trackway
3.2km N 359° The Malta National Museum of Archaeology* Museum
3.5km SW 229° Is-Salib* Standing Stone (Menhir)
3.8km E 92° Il-Bidni* Burial Chamber or Dolmen
3.9km SSE 159° Ghar Dalam Cart Ruts* Ancient Trackway
3.9km SE 126° Hal Ginwi temple Ancient Temple
3.9km SSE 159° Ghar Dalam Cave* Cave or Rock Shelter
4.3km SSE 162° Borg in-Nadur Cart Ruts* Ancient Trackway
4.4km SSE 161° Borg in-Nadur Settlement* Ancient Village or Settlement
4.5km SE 126° Tas-Silg* Ancient Temple
4.5km WNW 295° Ta' Raddiena* Ancient Temple
4.5km SSE 160° Borg in-Nadur Temple* Ancient Temple
4.5km SSE 158° St George's Bay Cart Ruts* Ancient Trackway
4.6km SSE 158° St George's Bay Silos* Ancient Mine, Quarry or other Industry
5.6km NNW 327° Tal-Mensija Cart Tracks San Gwann* Ancient Trackway
5.8km ESE 119° Xrobb l-Għaġin Temple* Ancient Temple
6.3km WSW 241° Misrah is-Sinjura* Burial Chamber or Dolmen
6.4km S 181° Wied Znuber* Burial Chamber or Dolmen
7.8km SW 234° Hagar Qim* Ancient Temple
8.2km WSW 237° Misqa Tanks* NOT SET
8.3km SW 235° Mnajdra* Ancient Temple
8.8km NW 306° Tal-Wej Cart Ruts* Ancient Trackway
9.0km NW 313° Triq il-Fortizza tal-Mosta Cart Ruts* Ancient Trackway
View more nearby sites and additional images