Mnajdra Temples Second Spring Equinox viewing great, despite weak sun
21 March 2015 – The second Spring Equinox viewing at Mnajdra Temples took place on a dreary, gray morning with the wind kicking up dust and the clouds threatening rain. While the clouds didn’t rain, the sun was unable to break through for much of the morning. Still, those in attendance did catch a small view of the wonder of the light reaching into the temple as the sun shone just enough to create a color variation on the wall.
John Scerri, who works at the Hagar Qim/Mnajdra Temples, brings the experience of the temples to life. As a tour guide, Scerri is the tops in this area. He is able to instill the exact knowledge that scholars have about the Temples (which is almost none), and he is able to talk about the ambiguities of what scholars think. It is hard to find a tour guide who can instill so much confidence in a tour and yet, make it known that much of what people “know” about the temples is conjecture. Not only is Scerri knowledgeable, he is funny and knows how to play with his audience.
Mnajdra contains a full calendar temple that is aligned to the east. On the equinoxes, the sun shines directly along the path to the furthest chamber. During the solstices, the sun shines on a specific wall, either the right or the left. The effect is so “systematic” according to the guidebook that scholars believe that the orientation was intentional, which meant that the forgotten builders of the temples spent a long time observing the sun and the way it moves. This temple complex is at least 5,300 years old.
The Spring Equinox event started and ended with a coffee break including cookies. All of the staff were terrific in their delivery of an experience that can only happen eight times a year. There is no accounting for the weather, and as with any astronomical event, people are subject to the whims of Mother Nature. However, even with only the partial view that people got of the phenomenon that makes Mnajdra unique, visiting this full calendar temple should be on the list of anyone who is in Malta during the Solstices or the Equinoxes.
John Scerri, who works at the Hagar Qim/Mnajdra Temples, brings the experience of the temples to life. As a tour guide, Scerri is the tops in this area. He is able to instill the exact knowledge that scholars have about the Temples (which is almost none), and he is able to talk about the ambiguities of what scholars think. It is hard to find a tour guide who can instill so much confidence in a tour and yet, make it known that much of what people “know” about the temples is conjecture. Not only is Scerri knowledgeable, he is funny and knows how to play with his audience.
Mnajdra contains a full calendar temple that is aligned to the east. On the equinoxes, the sun shines directly along the path to the furthest chamber. During the solstices, the sun shines on a specific wall, either the right or the left. The effect is so “systematic” according to the guidebook that scholars believe that the orientation was intentional, which meant that the forgotten builders of the temples spent a long time observing the sun and the way it moves. This temple complex is at least 5,300 years old.
The Spring Equinox event started and ended with a coffee break including cookies. All of the staff were terrific in their delivery of an experience that can only happen eight times a year. There is no accounting for the weather, and as with any astronomical event, people are subject to the whims of Mother Nature. However, even with only the partial view that people got of the phenomenon that makes Mnajdra unique, visiting this full calendar temple should be on the list of anyone who is in Malta during the Solstices or the Equinoxes.