Explore Tarxien

First impressions of Tarxien

Tarxien is one of the most extraordinary archaeological stops in Malta, home to four UNESCO-listed megalithic temples that gave their name to the entire Tarxien Phase (3150–2500 BC) — the high water mark of Malta's prehistoric temple culture. The temples were re-discovered in 1913 by local farmers ploughing what they thought was a normal field; excavations soon revealed the most artistically refined of all Malta's prehistoric structures, with intricate stone carvings of spiral motifs, animal reliefs (oxen and rams in procession), and the famous monumental lower half of the colossal 'Fat Lady' statue (the upper half is in the National Museum of Archaeology in Valletta). Together with Hagar Qim, Mnajdra, and the Hypogeum at nearby Paola, the Tarxien Temples form an extraordinarily compact cluster of prehistoric monuments — you can visit all four sites in a single day. The site itself sits in the middle of a modern residential neighbourhood (the temples are quite literally between apartment blocks), which makes the experience of walking among 5,000-year-old carved stones, with cars driving past behind you, surreal and rather moving. Pair with the Hypogeum (book ahead), and Hagar Qim/Mnajdra on the south coast for a full prehistoric Malta day.