The night of March 18 marked a new adventure for about 50 Heritage Malta members and their families who took part in a sleepover organised by the agency at the Ħaġar Qim and Mnajdra temples.

The event was jam-packed with activities, as participants from seven countries and an age group varying from children to senior citizens showed great enthusiasm for the event, which is a first of its kind, held at the temples.

The first activity involved the particpants splitting into two groups for a one-hour tour of Ħaġar Qim by torchlight.

After dinner, the participants watched Treasure in Malta, a film shot at the temples, among other locations, in 1962, featuring a completely Maltese cast. The screening was preceded by an introduction by Jean Pierre Borg, who carried out extensive research on films shot in Malta, from the earliest days of the local film industry right up to the most recent movies.

The evening came to an end with the particpants setting up their sleeping bags at the visitor’s centre to get a few hours of rest before the highlight of the event early the next morning.

The next day, they could be seen making their way to Mnajdra to appreciate the natural beauty of the equinox and its lighting effect on the temple. The fine weather created the perfect conditions for this natural phenomenon to be appreciated fully.

With the activity having come to an end after a breakfast brunch at the visitor’s centre, some of the guests opted to stay on for what was to be another busy, yet successful day for Heritage Malta staff, the open day at Haġar Qim and Mnajdra.