Ġgantija

[Trina Demario]

The North wall of the Ggantija North Temple. The builders seem to have followed the natural contour of the ground.

[Trina Demario]

In the southern temple, in the left inside apse are a number of altars. These have been reconstructed using material found in situ, and following the watercolours of Charles Brochdorff, who painted them soon after the excavation/cleaning of the site.

[Trina Demario]

The right side of the two apses found upon entering the South Temple. The horizontal megaliths on the ground, are decorated with spiral carvings.

[Trina Demario]

One of two identical megaliths forming the portal into the interior apses of Ggantija North

[Trina Demario]

 The huge vertical megalith forming part of the main entrance of Ggantija South. 

[Trina Demario]

The hearth in the foreground has clear signs of fire. In the background is the main altar of Ggantija South and light entering onto it from the main axis of the temple. Further back, the apse with the reconstructed altars is visible.

[Trina Demario]

The facade of the North Temple. The boulders in the foreground might have formed part of the facade, before its collapse. It has been suggested that these be used in reconstructing the whole facade, but reconstruction is always a matter of controversy.

[Trina Demario]

The side of the outside south wall supporting the South Temple.

[Trina Demario]

 Unlike many other Maltese Megalithic temple sites, the forecourt of the Ggantija Temples seems to have been extended onto a terrace. Unfortunately a garden has been planted towards the edge of the terrace and this reduces the scale of the forecourt and also denies visitors the view of the valley below.
As seen in the water-colour of Charles de Brochdorff painted in 1824, it seems that there was a trilithon leading to this terrace wall from the valley. Unfortunately this is now lost but some of the megaliths used to build the retaining wall are still in place.

[Trina Demario]

Here we see the main altar in the foreground and leading to it, the corridor forming the main axis of Ggantija South. The couple in the centre give scale to the building.

[Trina Demario]

The main portal of Ggantija North, from the inside of the building.

[Trina Demario]

There is one back wall enclosing the two temples of Ggantija. Huge megaliths were used and it is perhaps the best example found in all of the Maltese temples of how the 'architects' achieved great stability in their construction using the header and stretcher technique. This technique involves wedging boulders alternating lengthwise and end on.

http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Malta

[Trina Demario]

One of the slabs carved with spirals, found in-situ at Ggantija South. Unfortunately the slabs have been left on the site and most of the spiral designs have eroded with time due to the elements.

http://web.infinito.it/utenti/m/malta_mega_temples/ggant/spislab.html

http://www.gozo.gov.mt/pages.aspx?page=15