The two sites are a megalithic temple complex, which can be found on a hilltop in Qrendi, a village on the southern coast of Malta. On either side of the hill lie the impressive temples of Mnajdra. A popular theory suggests that the village, originally referred to as Krendi, actually got its name from the megaliths of Ħaġar Qim!

The ancient sites, which are a masterpiece of stone masonry from a forgotten age, are also classified as UNESCO World Heritage Sites, for their ‘unique architectural masterpieces’.

Considering the temples were built between 3600 and 3200BC, they are extremely well preserved. Though they were excavated in 1839, old documents and paintings before that date confirm that people knew of its existence.

The main structure consists of five rooms, divided by a corridor. The layout, as well as artefacts found on site, such as clay figurines, suggest that the structures were likely shrines, erected to worship mother earth, as well as the fertility cycles. Interestingly, a 5.2-metre high monolith is located on the outside of the temple, which has been said to resemble the ‘male’.