Tal-Qadi Temple

The Tal-Qadi Temple is a megalithic temple in Salina, limits of Naxxar, Malta [1]. It is in a very bad state of preservation, with only the temple's general outline still visible [1]. The site of Tal-Qadi was possibly in use around 4000 BC during the Ġgantija phase of Maltese prehistory, but the temple itself was built during the Tarxien phase between 3300 and 3000 BC [1]. The temple continued to be used during the Tarxien Cemetery phase, since pottery shards from that era have been found [1]. Tal-Qadi is the only temple in Malta which is orientated to the north-east [1]. The scattered remains of the temple, spread out on an upper and a lower field, were discovered by Henry Sant, a government civil engineer, in 1916 [1]. The area was excavated in 1927 by Themistocles Zammit and L. Upton Way [1]. During the early excavations, a broken globigerina limestone slab showing five sections separated by lines, and incised with star-like figures and a crescent shape in the middle was found [1].