Prehistoric Sites of Malta – Ta' Ħaġrat

The prehistoric temple of Ta’ Ħaġrat. At the upper right: the inscriptions “TA’ ĦAĠRAT”, “TEMPLES” and the dates “3600-3000 BC”. At the lower left: the name of the issuing state “MALTA” and, below it, the year “2019”.

This 2-euro commemorative coin exists in three varieties. Those in the BU coincard were struck in Pessac and carry the mint's mark and that of mint master Yves Sampo (MT-19 G2). Coins in the ST coin set show an “F” in the lower star (MT-19 G3). Coins from roll stock carry no mintmark (MT-19 G1).

Ta' Ħaġrat is one of the oldest surviving temple complexes in the world, located in northwestern Malta near the town of Mġarr. The site was built between roughly 3600 and 3000 BC, during the so-called Ġgantija phase, a period in which the Maltese islands produced a distinct megalithic culture markedly different from its contemporaries elsewhere in the Mediterranean. Ta' Ħaġrat consists of two temples, the larger of which is one of the best-preserved prehistoric sacred structures in Malta. Since 1992, the site has been listed as a UNESCO World Heritage property together with six other megalithic temples of Malta, grouped under the collective title "Megalithic Temples of Malta".

For Malta, protecting and raising international awareness of these prehistoric sites carries particular cultural-political significance. With their temples, the islands possess a cultural heritage that predates Greek or Roman settlement by a wide margin, giving Maltese history an independent, millennia-old foundation. As part of its series on the prehistoric sites of Malta, the country dedicated a 2-euro commemorative coin to the Ta' Ħaġrat temple complex in 2019 — one instalment in a multi-part series that systematically presents the island state's megalithic heritage and forms a coherent documentation for the "Prehistoric Sites of Malta" coin theme.