The subterranean sanctuary at Ħal Saflieni

Abstract

The Hypogeum at Hal Saflieni is a unique structure on planet Earth; it is the only known megalithic monument which has been carved underground, and no parallels can be drawn with similar structures elsewhere. It not merely testifies to the precocious civilization of the Neolithic Maltese, but is a surviving model of the several Maltese megalithic structures above ground. Unlike the open stone circles outside the Maltese islands, such as Stonehenge, the Maltese megalithic repertoire is characterized by a massive enclosure housing a sanctuary; unlike the megalithic tombs enclosed and buried in supporting soil, the Maltese structures are entirely self-supporting and stand freely, without the surrounding matrix required elsewhere. They are therefore rightly classed as the earliest temples on the planet.