Ġgantija
| Ġgantija | |||
|---|---|---|---|
.jpg) Altar in the south temple |
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Location on Gozo |
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| Coordinates | 36 ° 2 '49.8 " N , 14 ° 16' 8.3" E | ||
| place | Xagħra , Gozo , Malta | ||
| Emergence | 3600 to 3000 BC Chr. | ||
| Dimensions | 50 m | ||
| height | 115 m | ||
The Ggantija Temple [ dʒɡɐntiːjɐ ] on the island of Gozo in the archipelago of Malta are among the oldest still halfway obtained free-standing buildings in the world. They were declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1980 . In 1992 this status was given to five other temples. They form the World Heritage Site of the Megalithic Temples of Malta and have been included in the National Inventory of the Cultural Assets of the Maltese Islands .
history
The approximately 5600 year old complex consists of two assembled temples , the smaller of which was built about 150 years later. The complex got its name from the giants assumed at the time who must have built this structure. It was used during the entire Chalolitic period from the Żebbuġ - (approx. 3,800 BC) to the Tarxian phase (2,500 BC) at about the same time as Mnajdra .
Construction
Each temple had once Trilithons as inlet and passage structures on the shaft and consists of five maple leaf-like arranged vestibules , wherein the head of the smaller niche North temple is formed only rudimentary. The position of the altars can still be seen in some apses of the south temple and in one of the north temple. The central aisle and the forecourt were probably paved with slabs, at least the older three-apse temple of Kordin III (picture see History of Malta ) and remains in the aisle of the south temple of Ġgantija refer to this.
The outer walls of the facility are still over 6 meters high at one point. Due to the volume of the coral limestone blocks, some weighing more than 50 tons, it can be assumed that the place of worship was originally higher. The temples were roofed with cantilever vaults (as shown by found models). However, the upper area was completely eroded over time. The remains give a very good impression of the former height of the building.
- Views of the archaeological site
Floor plan of the temple
Apse with remains of the altars
Remains of the triliths on the axis
Remains of the paving in the central aisle
_138.JPG)
location
The Ġgantija is located on a 115 m high hill above the place Xagħra (pronounced Shahra ). It is at the end of the Xagħra Plateau and faces southeast. The place is developed for tourism. Also nearby are Brochtorff Circle and the Għar ta 'Għejżu cave, as well as the remains of the temple of Santa Verna about a kilometer to the west . Until the discovery of the approximately 11,000 year old temple on the Göbekli Tepe in Eastern Anatolia, the Ġgantija was considered the oldest temple in the world (made of carved stones), but the megalithic buildings in Brittany such as the Cairn of Barnenez are centuries older.
Legends
According to legend, a giantess is said to have built the structure in a single night, while she was still holding her child in her arms.
See also
literature
- Joachim von Freeden: Malta and the architecture of its megalithic temples. Scientific Book Society, Darmstadt 1993, ISBN 3-534-11012-9 .
- Jürgen E. Walkowitz: The megalithic syndrome. European cult sites of the Stone Age (= contributions to the prehistory and early history of Central Europe. Vol. 36). Beier & Beran, Langenweißbach 2003, ISBN 3-930036-70-3 .
Web links
Individual evidence
- ↑ A. Torpiano: The engineering of the prehistoric megalithic temples in Malta (PDF, 1.95 MB). In: Proceedings of the International Conference Sustainability of Constructions: Towards a Better Built Environment , Innsbruck, 3. – 5. February 2011, pp. 559-570. ISBN 978-99957-816-0-6
