A journey through the mysteries of the Mediterranean - Malta, Menorca and Sardinia
Hello, Adventurers! It is with great joy that I do the first post talking about adventures that go a little beyond the photographs.
It is certain that those who enjoy this world of exploration, love not only the images, but something that comes linked to them: History. This history is sometimes loaded with mysteries unknown to modern man, and sometimes it is simply invisible to him, since we know very little about the secrets and customs of other cultures.
The Mediterranean is the birthplace of incredible cultures (Greeks, Romans, Arabs, Hebrews...). We already know that the traces of these civilizations have left their mark on the buildings, art and culture of dozens of countries that border this sea. But, what if I tell you that there are still many puzzles in these lands that have not yet been solved?
Sardinia, Malta, Menorca. What do these places have in common? Apart from the fact that they are islands, there are thousands of megalithic constructions and traces of lost civilizations that have not yet fit into the puzzles of known history.
Today I want to shed some light on these mysteries, talking about some places I visited in the Mediterranean. These places are covered not only with legends and myths, but with incredible natural beauty that I was able to experience with my own senses. Ready?
How to get there?
My journey was more like a holiday cruise around the islands, but with the pleasant surprise of having an option to see something more than the crystal-clear beaches and famous cities.
The best cruise companies offer crossings between these islands in the Mediterranean with all the comfort and tranquility possible. Knowing the places during the day and eating at ease and resting (or having fun) at night is really an irrefutable option.
On my way, I got off in Milan, very close to the port of Genoa, where we left our car and left for the itinerary below, in 7 days.
The only disadvantage that I saw in opting for the cruise is that the trip is VERY quick. A day in each location is SO little. We ended up opting for the itineraries that we thought were better and deeper, but not even far from being able to dive into the mysteries and nuances of the places. However, for a first trip of exploration (especially if you are taking the family) it is an interesting option.
Sardinia
Sardinia is a spectacular place. In addition to the pristine beaches, you will eat well and feel at home with all the classic hospitality of Italians. But, what really caught my attention were the Nuraghes of Sardinia.
What?
Nuraghes. It is the name of a culture still little known that passed through here around 1600-200 BC. Apart from being very old, what draws a lot of attention is that they left an immense legacy of megalithic constructions on the island that look like forts, giant tombs and (big) stone men.
I had the opportunity to go to the biggest Nuraghe on the island, called Su Nuraxi and I can say: it is AMAZING. To think that in the 16th century BC, a bunch of humans managed to build something so big and intricate is something really surprising.
Su Nuraxi in Winter - Francesco Ghiani - CC BY-SA 3.0 - Wikipedia
From inside the Nuraghe ... Incredible, isn't it?
The Nuraghe is filled with stacked stone chambers without using a spoonful of cement. In addition, the ancients showed knowledge (advanced for the time) of architecture and engineering, since with the little that is known, some chambers had food storage goals, rituals, etc.
“There were giants on earth in those days; and also afterwards, when the sons of God entered the daughters of men and begat sons of them; these were the brave men of antiquity, men of fame.”
To make this Italian sauce spicier, there are places like the "Tombs of the Giants" (Tomba dei Giganti) and statues found that were named "Giants of Monte Prama". I didn't visit them personally, but I was able to see the excavations and a museum near Su Nuraxi in one of the small towns along the way.
Giants of Monte Prama - DedaloNur - CC BY-SA 3.0 - Wikipedia
Tombs are not really called that figuratively. They are places of eternal rest for something around 2.70m and are also megalithic, built with immense rocks. Coincidentally, the Giants of Mount Prana also measure around 2.70m, and illustrate a kind of race of giant warriors that passed through there.
Tomb of Coddu Vecchiu’s Giant - Michel Royon - CC BY-SA 3.0 - Wikipedia
Mysteries aside, we can dive much more into Sardinia, but not here right now. There are an immense amount of Nuraghes, tombs and statues scattered throughout the island, which certainly made us leave this incredible place on the list of "let's-explore-more-in-the-future."
Malta
We had thought that Sardinia had been enigmatic, but when we arrived in Malta we were really shocked. Imagine a place out of a fantasy book? A walled city that looks like a huge castle, with some Stonehenges in its backyard ...
This is Malta.
On our journey we visited Hagar Qim, the most incredible temple complex on the island, and perhaps the Top 10 in the world. Hagar Qim is a megalithic building on top of a hill, absurdly steeped in mysteries and open questions involving archaeologists, scientists and historians.
Aerial view of Hagar Qim - Peuplier - Creative Commons
We were guided by the super friendly and cheerful presence of a man who looked like Gandalf. He explained to us each of the current mysteries that involve Hagar Qim, which I will try to quickly put down here:
Hagar Qim is contemporary with the construction of the pyramids in Egypt (approx. 3000 BC)
Hagar Qim have many cosmic references and practically perfect astronomical alignments
Hagar Qim was built with incredibly large and heavy blocks for the man of the time. In addition, they were perfectly assembled to form the architecture and engineering of the temple (which was partly destroyed by earthquakes)
There are references to a “Flood” that swept the island and wiped out the culture there. Yes, they even showed a little video of it to us when we were inside the Hagar Qim museum.
“For, behold, I bring a flood of waters upon the earth, to undo all the flesh in which there is a spirit of life under the heavens; everything on earth will expire.”
The Island of Malta is an EXTREMELY rich place in history, myths and legends. There are several other megalithic temples on the island that are equally ancient and have incredible architecture as in Ħal-Saflieni. It is believed that there was designed by this mysterious civilization with a unique and "sacred" acoustics. Here is a tip to explore more.
Inside Ħal-Saflieni - Malta Film Commission
We leave you to think once again on the effort to build these immense temples, and especially their purpose, which is still quite discussed. We could go on and talk for hours about Malta, but let's move on to this page for now.
Who knows in the next articles?
Menorca
The Balearic Islands in Spain are a very characteristic place for European summer. Incredible beaches, lots of sun, fresh water ... Who would have thought that there are also mysteries and history in this place?
Here, I had the opportunity to visit the Taula de Torralba on the island of Menorca. They are believed to be dated to approximately 1000 BC. The word Taula in the local language means "Table", and the monuments recall exactly that: a very high (and heavy) table. Usually these megaliths reach up to 5 meters in height and weigh many tons. It really is a mystery how they were cut, moved and positioned as seen.
Pano of Taula de Torralba
If you are fond of other megalithic sites like me, you will probably remember it in the act of Gobekli Tepe. Menorcan taulas are incredibly similar to the T-shaped pillars found in Turkey. Was it a resemblance to some lost common culture? What were these strange monuments for, which can be found by the hundreds not only in the Balearics, but in other places in the Middle East and Asia?
“He also struck an Egyptian man, a man of great height, five cubits; and the Egyptian had a spear in his hand, like the weaver’s axis; but he came down against him with a stick, and took the spear out of the Egyptian’s hand, and killed him with his own spear.”
In addition, to connect the points, inside the area of the Talaiotic buildings themselves there are graves (quite large by the way). Although it sounds quite strange, I even entered one...
Hello? There is some giant here?
There are still other megalithic constructions on the island, such as necropolises, giant tombs and even remnants of the walls of probable settlements or cities. Once again, one day was just nothing to explore this incredible network of history, culture and mysteries ... who knows, maybe we will return too (and since nobody is made of iron, we will enjoy a beach too).
That's it guys. The goal here was just to explore new territories a little and connect this with our content. It was very worthwhile to have ventured (even if quickly) in these places and I highly recommend it, especially for those curious and interested in deeper issues in our journey and existence.
We will be back with more! Did you like it? Comment there!