Ta' Hagrat stands on a low ridge near the village of Mgarr in the north of Malta, and it ranks among the oldest buildings anywhere. The temple was built in the Neolithic period, around 3600 to 3200 BC, centuries before Stonehenge and the pyramids, and its limestone walls and paved forecourt still show the shape of a small sanctuary. A short distance away lies the site of Skorba, another early settlement. Together they belong to the group of Megalithic Temples of Malta, which are among the oldest free-standing monuments on earth.
The builders were farming people who had no metal tools and no wheeled carts, yet they raised rooms with curving walls, trilithon doorways and carved altars, and covered the interiors with spirals and animal figures. No one knows exactly what they believed, but the famous plump figurines found on the islands suggest a cult of fertility and the dead. The stone, a soft golden limestone, glows in the late afternoon and weathers into honeycomb patterns.
Malta is a tiny, crowded island with a dense network of narrow roads, and riding there is an adventure of its own. Traffic drives on the left, a legacy of British rule, and local drivers are quick and assertive. Surfaces are often rough and patched, with potholes, and walled lanes can be blind. Around Mgarr the country is more rural, with terraced fields, prickly pear, and carob trees, and Mgarr is known for its strawberries in spring. From here the road leads quickly to the coast and the Gozo ferry at Cirkewwa.
Mgarr is a village of a few thousand, and Mellieha, four kilometres off, has fuel, supermarkets and cafes. Malta's food is a blend of Italian and Arab influences, with pastizzi, rabbit stew and fresh fish. The summer sun is fierce, so bring water and sun protection, and come in spring or autumn when the island is green or gold and the light is soft. Check opening times before visiting the temple.