Hal Saflieni Hypogeum
The Hal Saflieni Hypogeum was discovered during construction works in 1902. The three underground levels date from ca. 3600 - 2400 B.C. It was used both as a sanctuary and a cemetery. The bones of 7000 people have been found here (in bits and pieces).
The monument is considered one of the essential prehistoric monuments in the world.
Visit May 2005
One has to pre-book a visit to this site, as only 80 people are allowed inside daily. Also, photographing is forbidden, so I can't show more here than its entrance and the ticket.
Is it worth all the fuss beforehand? Yes - beside being one of the highlights of Malta (together with Mdina, which still only is on the Tentative List), it's an unique construction dating from a very early age. Especially the "doors" are carefully carved out of stone, by a people that didn't have metal tools in use.
There are a lot of mysteries surrounding the Hypogeum, adding some extra flavour to a visit. A trip here starts with a video that links this underground site with the many megalithic temples above ground elsewhere in Malta.
Reviews
gary price (Australia):
I visited around the year 2000 when my travelling companion discovered the site. We were fortunate to get tickets as a walk in but had to wait several hours for our "group". i am so glad i saw it and no visit to Malta would be complete without feasting ones eyes on this quite amazing place. Awesome is one word, etheral even. One could well imagine harbouring visions of past residents lurking somewhere in the background. The detail in the carvings, the knowledge that went in to the construction. Mans ingenuity never ceases to amaze. I commend this place as a "must see" to use an oft used cliche. But this place really does qualify. I suspect any person, religious or not, will be moved by the experience. |
| Date posted: July 2009 |
Ian Cade (England):
 The Hypogeum is tucked away on a fairly unremarkable street in the suburbs of Valletta. From the outside it looks just like another house, however what lies below is very impressive and reputed to be the only subterranean prehistoric temple ever discovered.
The Hypogeum is set out over three levels, the oldest being the top level. The second level is the most interesting with many chambers. Some of the ceilings are decorated with red ochre designs; there are many other rooms with lovely details and even marks on the walls showing how the caves were dug out, similar to the Flint mines at Spiennes. The Holy of Holies is the most famous part of the whole complex, and is very impressive; the architectural details are carved into the living rock, and give the only indication of what the ceilings of the many temples of Malta. It was on this level that the famous statue of the Sleeping Lady was found.
I found out later that there are several mysteries associated with the Hypogeum, one of them regards the finding of a secret chamber with a ‘bottomless’ pit sounding eerily like Mark Z. Danielewski’s House of Leaves.
As stated above entrance is very restricted, only 80 people a day can get in, and when we visited there were no tickets available for the next 10 days. A few people were waiting for last minute cancellations, however they were not having any luck from the looks of it.
I enjoyed my visit, and the introductory video was a great start to exploring the Megalithic sites in Malta and is such a unique and important site that there is no questioning of its place on the World Heritage list. |
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Kelly K. Henry (USA):
I was lucky enough to visit in Nov 2003. You must make reservations at least 1 month in advance. Only 45 or so people get to go in per day in groups of 12-15. The Hypogeum is a massive underground series of carved out caverns that contained the remains of more than 7,000 humans. Some red faded rock painting remains. Recent research indicates that this site could be as much as 12,000 years old. The film and informative tour guides insure a thorough understanding of the site but no photos are allowed. They lock up your cameras! Not recommended for claustrophobiacs. The site is a 30 minute bus ride from Valletta. Be sure to visit the archaeological museum in Valletta to round out the experience. |
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