The Underground Temples of Malta

More than 6,000 years ago, long before the pyramids of Egypt or Stonehenge rose from the earth, the people of Malta carved a sacred space deep underground.

Known as the Hypogeum of Ī-Īal-Saflieni, this sprawling subterranean complex is unlike anything else in the ancient world. Located in the town of Paola, it was discovered accidentally in 1902 by construction workers digging a cistern. What they found was a multi-level temple and burial chamber, carved directly into the limestone bedrock.

Dating to around 4000 BCE, the Hypogeum is one of the oldest free-standing and underground structures on Earth. Its chambers stretch over three levels, with the deepest level reaching 35 feet below ground. Archaeologists believe it served both as a sanctuary and a necropolis, where more than 7,000 individuals were entombed.

Each chamber was carefully hollowed out with antler picks and stone tools. Some rooms feature carefully carved niches, altars, and decorative motifs, including the famous "Sleeping Lady" figurine, thought to represent a deity or ancestor figure.