The Hypogeum and a temple – in one day!

Ciao!

We were up this morning around 5:30 am so that we could be showered and downstairs at the hotel’s restaurant at 7 am.  Our cab for the Hal Saflieni Hypogeum was scheduled for 7:45 am so that we could arrive at our destination well before our 8:45 am check-in time for our 9 am tour.  As it turned out, we were WAY too early for the Hypogeum, and were asked to return at 10 minutes to 9, and shown a coffee shop just down the road where we could sit comfortably and wait.  So … the lovely breakfast downstairs in the Ocean Restaurant.  Many more choices than on the Executive Lounge, and that’s what we’ll be doing tomorrow!  We both had lots of the same things – I had well scrambled eggs with bacon, potatoes and sautéed mushrooms.  R skipped the eggs, but added the roasted tomatoes to the above menu.  The mushrooms were superb!  We also had plates of fruits, including mosty pineapple for me, and it was delicious!  We were out of the hotel around 7:30 am and the Concierge introduced us to our driver, George, who was ready to go.  We made it to the Hypogeum in about half an hour, and headed to the Green Leaf coffee shop to wait.  R had a cup of his favorite – Café Americano – and I had a cup of hot chocolate.

Local monument to the Tarxien Temple

One of many plaques next to a front door

What you can and cannot do at Tarxien!

Great covering for the temple

Looking at one of the circular temples inside the main temple

Ancient doorway

Note altar on the right, like a table

Beautiful original circular walls

Door way from one part of temple to another

Love the holes long ago cut into the rock!

Stairway with replica pots

Libation hole into the earth

Note pits on stele as decoration

Another altar

Small doorway into another temple

LAUNDRY!

My bruschetta with eggplant and cheese -- YUM

R's bresaola salad

R's ravioli

My penne with pesto!

Left the Green Leaf about 10 to 9 and were actually the second people in line, just behind a nice British couple.  There was one other couple behind us.  The doors were opened about 8:55 am and we were instructed to put all our things (including the camera – no photos!) into one of the available lockers inside.  We were also instructed to “hurry up” as the tour was scheduled to leave at 9 am … After making a very rapid pit stop, we were all ready to go.

Quoting now Heritage Malta, “The Ħal Saflieni Hypogeum is an underground prehistoric burial site. Discovered in 1902 during construction works, the site was first excavated by Fr Emmanuel Magri between 1904 and 1906. Fr Magri died in Tunisia and his excavation notes have been lost. Excavations were taken over by Sir Themistocles Zammit, who continued works until 1911.  The Ħal Saflieni Hypogeum is a complex made up of interconnecting rock-cut chambers set on three distinct levels. Earliest remains at the site date back to about 4000BC, and the complex was used over a span of many centuries, up to c. 2500 BC.”

”The uppermost level consists of a large hollow with burial chambers on its sides. This hollow was probably originally exposed to the sky and excavations in the early 1990s indicate that there might also have been a monumental structure marking the entrance. A doorway leads to the Middle Level, which contains some of the best known features of the Hypogeum such as the intricate red ochre wall paintings and the beautifully carved features in imitation of architectural elements common in contemporaneous Megalithic Temples. The deepest of the three levels is known as the Lower Level, which is accessed down seven steps in the chamber popularly known as the ‘Holy of Holies.’”

“The Hypogeum was first opened to visitors in 1908 and since then it has been visited by many thousands of people. Unfortunately, this has had a toll on the delicate microclimate of the site which has affected the preservation of the site and the unique red ochre paintings. For this reason, after a conservation project which saw the site closed for 10 years between 1990 and 2000, a new system was established in which only 10 visitors an hour are allowed in for a maximum of 8 hours a day, complemented by an environmental control system which keeps temperature and humidity at required levels.”

This was one of the sites that I have been thinking about for months, and most wanting to see.  In fact, I had a note on the calendar several months ago to get tickets.  When we went to the front desk this morning to check in, there was a sign indicating that the tours were sold out until after July 3, so I was definitely glad I got the tickets when I did.  All in all, while 10 people are allowed in per hour (80 per day) there were just six of us on our tour.  We were both very happy about that, as six people was about as many as you would want to have with you, as the stopping places were narrow, and there wasn’t too much room to move around.  

Unfortunately, as happens in many special places, we were not able to take photos.  I did purchase several post cards, and I’m thinking I should be able to copy some photos into the blog, as it was truly an amazing experience.

Turns out, these prehistoric/Neolithic peoples were on Malta for a very long time, and built the Hypogeum mostly underground.  Now remember, these were people with no metal tools – they had to use rock or animal bones/antlers to do any digging or shaping at all.  The two most amazing things that we saw were first, the red ocher painted decorations – mostly spirals of one kind or another, on the ceiling and walls.  The second thing was the actually carving out of the Hypogeum itself.  It was chipped out of the limestone rock entirely by hand, and in several places, the detail of the site was chipped out to represent very smooth walls with a corbelled ceiling!  (meaning that the ceiling was represented in layers, with each successive layer being built over the layer before.)  It was basically built to accommodate the dead, and was estimated at one time to contain the corpses of over 7,000 bodies!  (Archaeological note:  When the site was first excavated at the beginning of the 20^thcentury, the point seemed to be to look for “treasure” and grave goods of the people left there – “fat ladies” etc. – and the bones were actually basically just boxed up and disposed of!  Unheard of now!)

We were able to go down into the lowest layer (where the so-called Holy of Holies was located), as well as both the middle and the top layer.  It was truly a remarkable experience.  There as even an “oracle chamber” which would pick up low-pitched sounds and voices and reverberate them around the complex – and each of the gentlemen in the group was asked to give it a try.  One of the men really made the place reverberate! Just amazing! I’ve copied a few photos from the web just to give some idea of what I’m talking about.  

From the Hypogeum, we were directed to the Tarxien Temples complex, which was about a five-minute walk away.  Fortunately, lots of sign-posting so we found it with no problem.  This is the temple(s) we saw when we first visited Malta some years ago, but to be honest, the migraine headache I got that day basically wiped all memory of the site from my mind.  Today was wonderful!  Not only was it nice and breezy and sunny, the site had very few visitors!  It is totally walled in by a modern suburb – in fact, it was found when farmers began to run into rock obstructions when they were trying to plow their fields! Fortunately, several of the houses have been removed, and the site is now covered by a wonderful roof. Definitely the preservation is happening here.  

In all, this is one of the largest temple complexes in the world. It was built between 3000 BC and 2500 BC, and was probably the most richly decorated temple on the islands. Most of the carved decorations – such as altar carvings and those on lintels, as well as the various “fat ladies” were moved into the National Museum in Malta (which we saw on Monday) and replaced with replicas to get the originals out of the elements.  That’s why they are in such good shape today, and you can see how weathered the replacements have become..  Still, both sites are truly remarkable if you are at all interested in ancient history!

From Tarxien, we decided it was about time to start heading back toward the hotel, so caught a bus right outside the Hypogeum which took us straight to the downtown Valletta bus terminal.  From there, it was no problem getting on the next 16 bus, which was heading back to our hotel.  And, if one is not attempting the route during rush-hour, it actually got us back fairly quickly and easily.

At this point, I decided that, as we had spied a launderette, we should definitely make use of it and catch up on all the dirty clothes.  So, I loaded up my backpack, and Robert took the Tide capsules and fabric sheets, and we headed back out.  There was one elderly man doing his (or someone elses’) laundry, but he was very helpful in getting us going on wash.  We had a 40 minute “cool-ish” cycle wash, and then into the only dryer that apparently was working – that’s scary! – for a couple of drying cycles.  Finally, in fairly rapid order, we had all washed clothes that were actually both clean and dry!  Who knew?! I am still going to iron tonight (if I can work up the energy!) as polo shirts and pull-over tops definitely look better with some ironing.  There is an ironing board an iron in our closet, which is nice.

By this time, we still hadn’t eaten … definitely NOT a good thing, as I tend to get cranky when I haven’t eaten.  Once back in our room, we looked up restaurants in the area, and settled on Santini, which was supposed to be very close to the hotel.

Downstairs yet again, and this time, followed the street next to the hotel. Turns out there is a huge Portomaso shopping complex, complete with an excellent grocery store – who knew?!  Santini was just another block, and we were almost the only people in there! (We joined about six other people who were sitting together enjoying a late lunch.)  R had a bresaola salad with arugula and tomato and parmesan to start, followed by a ricotta stuffed ravioli with a tomato sauce.  I started with bruschetta with eggplant, tomato sauce and cheese on top, toasted perfectly, and followed this with penna alla Norma (eggplant).  It was delicious!  We washed everything down with a bottle of excellent Chardonnay from Gozo; just wonderful!

I did manage to stop on the way back for a gelato – stracciatella (vanilla with chocolate chips) and a Biscuit Choco (not sure what it is exactly, except that it is fabulous!)  Rnow napping away, and I am determined to get as much of today’s blog as possible done, so that I can get to sleep earlier tonight.  

Tomorrow will be a busy day.  We’ll be repacking the suitcases, and then heading to pick up a car and going out of town. We’ll spend one night in the ancient Maltese capital of Rbat (not a typo – this is how it is spelled) and follow that with two nights in Victoria, on the island of Gozo.  What fun!

More later!

m

xxx