Hagar Qim is a megalith in Malta, Europe. UNESCO World Heritage List: Megalithic Temples of Malta dates it to c. 3600-3200 BCE. Its listed material is Limestone. Listed figures include a heaviest stone of 20 tonnes (estimated). UNESCO World Heritage List: Megalithic Temples of Malta also records: “Summer solstice sunrise light falls through a portal hole onto a slab.”
A hilltop temple with a single slab of about 20 t and light effects at the solstices.
The Hagar Qim temple complex is characterized by the use of massive megalithic stones, with the largest individual slab estimated to weigh approximately 20 tonnes. The temple complex dates to the period of 3600-3200 BCE.
Limestone is the recorded construction material of Hagar Qim, placing the temple complex within the material-usage lens as well as the study of megalithic architecture. The material entry does not by itself identify the extraction site or prove which tools shaped every block.
The temple complex features a summer solstice sunrise light effect where light passes through a portal hole onto a stone slab.
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Guide answers and timeline insights related to this Wonder.
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Compare the published evidence and its interpretations. “Consensus” records the mainstream account; “Alternative” identifies a competing interpretation, not an equally established conclusion. Estimates and unresolved questions remain qualified in the claim text.
| Field | Consensus | Alternative |
|---|---|---|
| Date | 3600 BCE - 3200 BCE c. 3600-3200 BCE UNESCO World Heritage List: Megalithic Temples of Malta | No claims found. |
| Purpose | Temple complex UNESCO World Heritage List: Megalithic Temples of Malta | No claims found. |
| Method | No claims found. | No claims found. |
| Size and scale Read description | c. 3600-3200 BCE UNESCO World Heritage List: Megalithic Temples of Malta Temple complex UNESCO World Heritage List: Megalithic Temples of Malta | No competing claim recorded. |
| Material usage Read description | Temple complex UNESCO World Heritage List: Megalithic Temples of Malta | No competing claim recorded. |
| Astronomical alignment Read description | Summer solstice sunrise light falls through a portal hole onto a slab UNESCO World Heritage List: Megalithic Temples of Malta Temple complex UNESCO World Heritage List: Megalithic Temples of Malta | No competing claim recorded. |
Summer solstice sunrise light falls through a portal hole onto a slab
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Approximate - counted from January 1, 3,400 BCE (UTC). Based on the midpoint of 3,600 BCE - 3,200 BCE; the underlying date is uncertain.
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