Ħaġar Qim
Facade of the main temple of Ħaġar Qim
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| Location | Qrendi, Malta |
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| Coordinates | 35°49′40″N 14°26′32″E / 35.82778°N 14.44222°ECoordinates: 35°49′40″N 14°26′32″E / 35.82778°N 14.44222°E |
| Type | Temple |
| Part of | Megalithic Temples of Malta |
| History | |
| Material | Limestone |
| Founded | c.3700 BC–c.3200 BC |
| Periods | Ġgantija phase |
| Site notes | |
| Excavation dates | 1839–1954 |
| Archaeologists | J. G. Vance Antonio Annetto Caruana Thomas Eric Peet John Davies Evans |
| Condition | Well-preserved ruins |
| Ownership | Government of Malta |
| Management | Heritage Malta |
| Public access | Yes |
| Website | shows information about Hagar Qim Heritage Malta |
| Official name | Megalithic Temples of Malta: Ġgantija, Ħaġar Qim, Mnajdra, Ta' Ħaġrat, Skorba, Tarxien |
| Type | Cultural |
| Criteria | iv |
| Designated | 1980 (4th session) |
| Reference no. | 132 |
| Region | Europe and North America |
| Extended | 1992 |
Ħaġar Qim (Maltese pronunciation: [ħadʒar ˈʔiːm]; "Standing/Worshipping Stones") is a megalithic temple complex found on the Mediterranean island of Malta, dating from the Ġgantija phase (3600-3200 BC). The Megalithic Temples of Malta are among the most ancient religious sites on Earth, described by the World Heritage Sites committee as "unique architectural masterpieces." In 1992 UNESCO recognized Ħaġar Qim and four other Maltese megalithic structures as World Heritage Sites.V. Gordon Childe, Professor of Prehistoric European Archeology and director of the Institute of Archaeology in the University of London from 1946-1957 visited Ħaġar Qim. He wrote, "I have been visiting the prehistoric ruins all round the Mediterranean, from Mesopotamia to Egypt, Greece and Switzerland, but I have nowhere seen a place as old as this one."
Ħaġar Qim's builders used globigerina limestone in the temple's construction. As a result of this, the temple has suffered from severe weathering and surface flaking over the millennia. In 2009 work was completed on a protective tent.
The megalithic complex of Ħaġar Qim is located on the southern edge of the island of Malta, on a ridge capped in soft globigerina limestone. All exposed rock on the island was deposited during the Oligocene and Miocene periods of geological time. Globigerina limestone is the second oldest rock on Malta, outcropping over approximately 70% of the area of the islands. The builders used this stone throughout the temple architecture.
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