A group of some 50 people, many of them tourists, heralded the arrival of Spring and the spring equinox at Mnajdra temples early this morning.

The activity was organised by Heritage Malta, which will host another group tomorrow morning.

During the equinox the rays of the rising sun pass directly through the main doorway, straight down the central axis, and reach the innermost, central apse of the temple.  This phenomenon can also be seen during the spring equinox.

Heritage Malta said that although there is no definite proof that the temples were used as calendars, the orientation of these megaliths is so systematic that it is widely believed that this was very probable.

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