Mnajdra
Niche at the Mnajdra South Temple
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| Location | Qrendi, Malta |
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| Coordinates | 35°49′36″N 14°26′11″E / 35.82667°N 14.43639°ECoordinates: 35°49′36″N 14°26′11″E / 35.82667°N 14.43639°E |
| Type | Temple |
| Part of | Megalithic Temples of Malta |
| History | |
| Material | Limestone |
| Founded | c.3600 BC–c.3200 BC |
| Periods |
Ġgantija phase Tarxien phase |
| Site notes | |
| Excavation dates | 1840–1954 |
| Archaeologists | J. G. Vance John Davies Evans |
| Condition | Well-preserved ruins |
| Ownership | Government of Malta |
| Management | Heritage Malta |
| Public access | Yes |
| Website | 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 |
Mnajdra (Maltese: L-Imnajdra) is a megalithic temple complex found on the southern coast of the Mediterranean island of Malta. Mnajdra is approximately 500 metres from the Ħaġar Qim megalithic complex. Mnajdra was built around the fourth millennium BCE; 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 the Mnajdra complex and four other Maltese megalithic structures as UNESCO World Heritage Sites. In 2009 work was completed on a protective tent.
Mnajdra is made of coralline limestone, which is much harder than the soft globigerina limestone of Ħaġar Qim. The main structural systems used in the temples are corbelling with smaller stones, and post and lintel construction using large slabs of limestone.
The cloverleaf plan of Mnajdra appears more regular than that of Ħagar Qim, and seems reminiscent of the earlier complex at Ggantija. The prehistoric structure consists of three conjoined but not connected temples: the upper, middle and lower.
The upper temple is the oldest structure in the Mnajdra complex and dates to the Ggantija phase (3600-3200 BC). It is a three-apsed building, the central apse opening blocked by a low screen wall. The pillar-stones were decorated with pitmarks drilled in horizontal rows on the inner surface.
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