Subterranean temple since 3000 BCE - Ħal Saflieni Hypogeum 130; Il-Ftira, culinary art and culture of flattened sourdough bread in Malta 01580
What and Why
Ħal Saflieni Hypogeum (Maltese: Ipoġew) is a large complex of rooms hewn out of the limestone and thought to have been a sanctuary and necropolis, with the remains of more than 7,000 individuals documented by archaeologists. ‘Hypogeum’ means ‘underground’ in Greek, ‘Ħal ’ means ‘small’ in Maltese and Saflieni represents the period 3300 - 3000 BCE in Maltese prehistory. Because it is underground, it is exceptionally well preserved and shows the very advanced and elaborate building methods of the period, especially curved walls, inter-twining passages and dome roofs. The Hypogeum was discovered by accident in early 20th century CE when workers building a new house broke through its roof. The entire necropolis is housed underground in the smack of the city.
Toponymy
Hypogeum is located in Paola, meaning 'Paul' in Italian, commemorating Paul the Apostle (Latin: Paulus), while the Maltese name Raħal Ġdid means 'new town'. Hypogeum means 'underground' in Greek as described above.
See
The important archaeological site is hidden unconspicuously inside a humble residential building with a very basic entrance.
The temple structure uses a delicate direction of light from the surface to penetrate into the lower chambers, with intricate patterns painted on portions of the ceiling. One of the main chambers, called 'The Holy of Holies', appears to be oriented such that light from the winter solstice illuminates its facade from the original opening above. The internal digging, carving and construction is very complex and curves intertwine with multiple levels.
Sorry no photographs allowed after the first entry level and even if they had allowed, the chambers are so dark that nothing would have worked anyway.
The Hypogeum is divided into three levels:
Upper level
The upper level is a burial chamber but before it is a small museum and shows a pre-show involving alien connotation with the temple. Quite interesting. This is the end of all photographies by the way.
Mid-level
The main site of the Hypogeum is the mid-level as it contains the main chamber, the oracle room, decorated room and the holy room. The main chamber is located at the centre with the other rooms spoke out from the centre, as the plan above shows. In particular the holy of holiest room (picture above) is perhaps the central structure of the Hypogeum. This room appears to be oriented toward the winter solstice.
When I reached the mid-level I understand why they had limited a group to ten people. Honestly the chamber passages are very short and narrow and even with ten people we felt very congested.
Lower level
Looks like a storage barn, with no bones discovered.
Eat and Drink
Ftira
A seemingly modest snack or staple in Malta is the ftira, which is medium-sized flat sourdough donut. Sometimes it is eaten like a sandwich or even like a pizza where the fillings are laid on top of the ftira. We did not take notice of this bread and thought it was 'just another bread' until two years after the trip, I found the news that this bread was inscribed as a UNESCO ICH in 2020 CE! Apparently this way of preparing bread dates back to the 16th century CE. The word ftira derives from the Arabic word 'الفطير (al-fatir)' meaning 'unleavened'.
We had a wonderful dinner at a British restaurant called Il-Merrill at Silema (Tas-Sliema), and naturally I ate rabbit stew plus a basic ftira. Damned good.
Stay
I stayed in the Saint George Park Hotel at Saint Julian's (San Ġiljan). Terrible stay, the hotel is poorly managed and looks more like a rowdy student dormitory, and I was deceived by all the photographs from its webpage. I also went to Malta during a summer break season where there were drunkards aplenty, messing the whole hotel badly.
Getting There and Around
Bus from Valletta, getting there is not a problem, getting a ticket is. You have to make a booking for the Hypogeum at least one month ahead of time, as entrance is limited to protect the temple, in which the ticket is EUR 35€. Only 10 people are allowed in each tour and there are only six tours a day. Otherwise you can get some last-minute ticket in Valletta at a slightly hiked price of 40€. The site's ticket comes with a guided visit which lasts approximately 90 minutes.
UNESCO Inscriptions
The Hypogeum is an enormous subterranean structure excavated c. 2500 B.C., using cyclopean rigging to lift huge blocks of coralline limestone. Perhaps originally a sanctuary, it became a necropolis in prehistoric times
Il-Ftira, culinary art and culture of flattened sourdough bread in Malta, is a key part of the cultural heritage of the inhabitants of the Maltese archipelago. Ftira has a thick crust and light internal texture, characterized by large, irregular holes (an open crumb). It is flatter than other Maltese breads and has a hotter baking temperature. The halved loaf is filled with Mediterranean-type ingredients such as olive oil and tomato, tuna, capers and olives. Seasonal variants and inventive twists can also be added. With a name derived from Arabic (fatir, meaning unleavened bread), ftira culture reflects the continuity of intercultural exchange in Malta’s history. Although other kinds of Maltese bread can be made with a mechanized process, skilled bakers are still needed to shape ftira by hand. In the bakery, apprentices learn by watching and doing, and various training programmes also exist. The skills of choosing compatible ingredients and filling ftira are passed down informally in homes, as well as through other channels such as social media and cooking blogs. Eating ftira as a filled snack or appetiser fosters a shared identity in Malta, bringing people together. A wide variety of people, including marginalized groups, can enter the baking profession as apprentices, and Ftira Days in schools help inform students about healthy eating.
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