The Megalithic Temples of Malta are several prehistoric temples, some of which are UNESCO World Heritage Sites, built on the Maltese islands during three distinct periods, approximately between 3600 BC and 700 BC.

This makes them the oldest free-standing structures in the world and archaeologists believe that these megalithic complexes are the result of local innovations in a process of cultural evolution. This led to the building of several temples of the Ggantija phase (3600–3000 BC), culminating in the large Tarxien temple complex, which remained in use until 2500 BC. After this date, the temple building culture mysteriously disappeared.

The Ggantija temples in Gozo belong to the the Ggantija phase, and are the earliest of the megalithic temples of the Maltese islands, making them the oldest free-standing temples in the world. The name Ggantija derives from the word ggant - the Maltese for giant - as Gozitans used to believe the temples were built by a race of giants. It makes sense when you experience the sheer enormity of the stone!

Also part of the Ggantija phase, the temple of Hagar Qim stands on a hilltop overlooking the sea and the islet of Fifla, which feels mystical when you catch glimpses of it through the temple window's line of sight. Hagar Qim was in fact never completely buried, and the tallest stones have remained exposed, featuring in 18th and 19th century paintings. One of the prehistoric chambers here holds an elliptical hole which is hewn out in alignment with the summer solstice sunrise. On the first day of summer (June 21st) at sunrise, the sun’s rays pass through this hole and illuminate a stone slab inside the chamber.

A stone's throw (500 metres to be precise) from Haġar Qim you'll find Mnajdra Temples. The walk down is quiet and moving, with the beauty and vastness of the sea, and the islet of Filfla in front of you. This temple is made up of three buildings facing a common oval forecourt. The first and oldest structure dates to the Ggantija phase, the second structure - the South Temple - was constructed in the early Tarxien phase (3150 – 2500 BC), while the Central Temple, inserted between the other two, was the last to be built. Remains to the north-east and south of these buildings indicate that these three structures are only the best preserved of a larger complex.

This was the peak of the temple civilisation, both in terms of the craftsmanship of pottery and in sculptural decoration. The Tarxien Temples site consists of a complex of four megalithic structures built between 3600 and 2500 BC and re-used between 2400 and 1500 BC. Of the temple's four structures, three were reconstructed by an archaeological team in the 1960s. They contain highly decorated stone blocks and screens, reliefs of domestic animals and spirals, a colossal statue and a number of altars, one of which contained a flint knife and animal bones. Their location and the relationship with the temple itself are our best indications of the type of activities which took place on site.

This site is smaller than most other temple sites, with the larger temple dating from the Ggantija phase (3600–3200 BC) while the smaller is dated to the Saflieni phase (3300–3000 BC). The excavation of plentiful pottery deposits show that a village stood on the site and predates the temples themselves, dating back to the Mgarr phase (3800-3600 BC). This is the only temple site which is built entirely of local Upper Coralline Limestone, and its facade includes a unique stepped doorway leading into the temple, allowing visitors to appreciate better the genius of Maltese megalithic construction in a time when it was limited to stone, bone and wooden tools.

Roughly one kilometre from the Ta' Hagrat Temples, this site was quite late in being excavated compared to the other islands' temples. The Ta' Skorba complex is unique for providing crucial evidence concerning the domestic aspect of the prehistoric people, including the temple builders themselves. Here, the remains of several domestic huts were found, in which the prehistoric temple builders dwelled with some of the structures dating from before the Temple Period (before 3600 BC), which makes them amongst the oldest constructed structures on the Maltese islands. Studies on these structures have provided crucial evidence on the life-sustaining resources which were available at the time, and have also thrown light on the dietary patterns of the prehistoric people.