Ġgantija is a megalithic temple complex from the Neolithic era ( 3600–2500 BC), on the Mediterranean island of Gozo in Malta. The Ġgantija temples are the earliest of the Megalithic Temples of Malta and are older than the pyramids of Egypt.
The two Ġgantija temples were built during the Neolithic, and are more than 5500 years old and the world’s second oldest existing manmade religious structures after Göbekli Tepe.
Maltese folklore has the legend of a giantess named Ġgantija who ate nothing but broad beans and honey. She gave birth to a human child, and with the child over her shoulder, built the temples as a place of worship.
Is Ġgantija older than Stonehenge?
Built long before Stonehenge appeared, it is thought that these temples were created between 3600 and 3200 BC, however during 2500 BC they were abandoned, and it wasn’t until the 19th Century that they made a reappearance and were discovered as a part of the heritage of the island.
Along with other temples such as Mnajdra and Hagar Quim are UNESCO WORLD Heritage sites. Malta Temples creators oriented them to point towards Sirius.
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