Spring equinox tour of Mnajdra

Heritage Malta will conduct a guided tour of the Mnajdra Temples on March 19, 20 and 21 to mark the spring equinox.

The unique setting of the Mnajdra Temples at Qrendi, overlooking the coast, gives them a special charm not to be found in any other of the large-scale megalithic buildings of the Maltese Islands.

In a bid to provide an enhanced experience to visitors, only 50 people per day will be allowed access to the temples during this special guided tour.

Sunrise on the first day of each season underlines the relationship between the temples and celestial bodies. Although it is not known for certain whether these orientations were intentional, they are so systematic that this is very probable. In prehistoric agricultural societies, observation of the motion of the stars, the moon and sun could have been related to the changing seasons and times of planting and harvesting crops.

On these three days, visitors at the temples will marvel at sunrise as the sun's rays will shine through the exact centre of the main doorway to the South Temple.

A limited number of tickets for each Mnajdra tour are selling at €12 (Lm5.15) for the public and €8 (Lm3.43) for Heritage Malta members and are strictly on a first come first served basis. Interested parties are to purchase their tickets from any Heritage Malta site including the Head Office at Old University Buildings, Merchants Street, Valletta by not later than Tuesday. For further enquiries phone 2295 4000.

The guided tours start at around 5.30 a.m. from the main gate of the Ħagar Qim Temple.

For further information on activities organised by Heritage Malta one may visit: http://www.heritagemalta.org.