Tarxien Temples

Malta's most richly decorated temples

The Tarxien Temples, located in the centre of the town of the same name in southern Malta, date to approximately 3600-2500 BC and feature the richest decoration of all Maltese megalithic temples. They were discovered in 1914 by Maltese archaeologist Sir Themistocles Zammit, the same man who discovered the link between Malta fever and goat's milk.

The Fat Lady and the spirals

Tarxien's icon is the lower half of a massive female statue known as the "Fat Lady". The original is in the National Museum of Archaeology in Valletta. The complete figure was probably over 2 metres tall. The statue symbolised fertility and abundance. The temple slabs are carved with spirals, animals (bulls, pigs, goats), and geometric patterns of astonishing precision.

From temple to cemetery

Around 2500 BC, the temple-building culture vanished for unknown reasons. After several centuries of abandonment, the site was resettled by Bronze Age people who used the ruins as a cremation cemetery. Finds from this phase (c. 1500 BC) include urns with ashes, bronze tools, and the oldest metal objects found in Malta.

Practical tip: Entry EUR 6, far fewer tourists than Ħaġar Qim. Combine with the Hypogeum (10 minutes' walk). Original sculptures are in the National Museum of Archaeology in Valletta; replicas on site.