Events of Wednesday 28th November 2012
A Day with History
Ann was spending the day at the Spa so Dean and I decided to visit some of the very old temples.
Hagar Qim and Mnajdra Temples
We drove to Hagar Qim where there is a new visitor centre, not there when Dean last visited about 12 years previously and certainly not there when I visited in what now seems pre-historic times. The Mnajdra Temples are a few hundred yards walk away, so the visitor centre serves for both temple complexes. Both sites are in the care of Heritage Malta (see their website).
Both Dean and I were impressed with the interpretation of the history of the temples. The various people involved in the studies of the temples are mentioned with their various theories but there's a frank admission that we may never have a complete understanding of the temple builders' intentions.
The 'orientation' included a rather 'arty' high-definition video which wasn't very informative - Hagar Qim is 5,000 years old and Mnajdra 3,500 years old - that was it. We made our way down the path towards the six foot chain link fence topped with razor wire and lights which surrounded the temples. Admission to the compound was past a wooden checkpoint where a member of security staff carefully studied our tickets before entering information into a computer. It all felt rather like Berlin in the Cold War.
However, all that could be seen on the temple site was a large, white dome looking like an alien flying saucer. This was the European Union co-funded answer to the short-term preservation of the stones, which huddled, diminished, underneath. This takes us back to the old question of 'curatorial ethics' and what actions are responsible in looking after important artefacts. In Malta, the argument that the stones must be protected against rain and ultra violet while long-term conservation methods are developed has clearly won, depriving the present generation of the ability to sense the spiritual significance the constructions were meant to convey. The fabric dome is supported by huge steel arches which are visually intrusive once you are underneath the roof - it's impossible to see the stones in the context of the landscape.
It's difficult to take any photographs which don't include parts of the roof structure or the various weather measuring instruments which are dotted around the inside of the structure to gather data on the effect of the roof. Visitors are constrained to only certain area by barriers which, whilst sad, is more understandable - much of the construction uses softer types of limestone where visitor-created abrasion literally wears the structure away.
Mnajdra lies a few hundred yards away from Hagar Qim, reached by a straight, modern causeway sloping downhill to a second fence, checkpoint and ticket inspection. The stones are hidden beneath their own protective structure, similar to that a Hagar Qim.
Dean and I agreed that, for some reason, Mnajdra does not seem quite as diminished by its protective shelter as does Hagar Qim but we cannot agree with the 'Brief Guide' handed out to visitors by Heritage Malta which states:-
"Part of the charm of Mnajdra Temples lies in the fact that no modern development is visible from the site, so that it still may be appreciated in its original setting".I don't know whether that terrible dissonance with reality is due to official myopia or casualness in updating the photographs in the brief guide (which show the 'flying saucer') whilst leaving the text unchanged.
Despite the disappointments at Hagar Qim and Mnajdra, Dean and I agreed to look at one more Temple complex -Tarxien.
Tarxien Temples
In contrast to the open, cliff-top location of Hagar Qim and Mnajdra, the Tarxien Temples are situated in an urban area south-east of Valletta. The usual hard-to-follow series of road signs led us through a series of narrow streets to a stone-built ticket office providing the only visible evidence of the site.
To my great relief, Tarxien has yet to receive a Protective Shelter, although a sign displayed as we entered the site confirmed that the European Union is co-financing such a shelter. An extended walkway has already been provided. This is a steel-framed structure with handrails and a wooden pavement which zig-zags around the site varying between a few inches and a few feet above the ground, eventually returning the visitor to the ticket office. The modernity of this walkway makes it visually intrusive but at least it achieves its aim of improving accessibility and the higher sections of the walkway make it easier to appreciate the site layout.
The complex includes four temples built between 3600 B.C. and 2500 B.C. There is some rather unfortunate 'modern' restoration. The later temples incorporate impressive stone reliefs featuring spiral patterns and animals.
Tarxien is hemmed in by by a modern church and cemetery, a wall separating a public road, a very tall stone wall (under repair at the time of our visit) separating a neglected garden and the ticket office. None the less, I enjoyed my visit.
We set off in the direction of our hotel. On the previous Monday, we'd cancelled a planned visit to Rabat and Mdina in order to visit the Aviation Museum so we decided to visit these locations before completing the journey to Golden Bay.
Domvs Romana, Rabat
We parked in Rabat near to the Roman Villa. It was my first visit to the museum site operated by Heritage Malta as 'Domvs Romana'. The exhibits are housed in a stone building, entered via an elegant Neo-Classical facade.
The mosaic pavements in the Domvs Romana are regarded as some of the oldest and best in the western Mediterranean. They were discovered in 1881 in the remains of a rich and sumptuously decorated town house of the Roman period. In addition to the mosaics, the museum houses a collection of Roman artefacts, statues and architectural stonework.
At the rear of the museum, there's an open-air site showing the foundations of the rear of the village and three adjacent houses.
There are a few pictures of the museum in the 'Mdina and Rabat' set (link below).
Mdina and Rabat
Mdina was the original capital of Malta and the only fortified city on the island until the 16th century when the Knights of St. John moved the capital to Valletta because of its harbour and fortified their new capital. This led to a period of neglect for Mdina, ended by an earthquake in 1693 which caused serious damage. Rebuilding following the earthquake produced the dignified city which is little changed today.
Like many visitors, I was enchanted by the place. The streets are mainly pedestrianised, with pretty horse drawn carriages (with rubber tyres) quietly providing transport for less athletic visitors. The imposing Palazzo Vilhena now houses a Natural History Museum.
St. Pauls Cathedral is topped by an elegant dome recognisable from miles away but not visible when close to the impressive frontage.
With some reluctance, I tore myself away from this very attractive place and Dean and I completed our journey back to the hotel to meet Ann.
Photographs
Hagar Qim and Mnajdra Temples.
Tarxien Temples.
Mdina and Rabat.
All the photographs on this trip form a collection titled Malta.
[Revised 3-Dec-2012]
