The Mystery of Ħal Saflieni Hypogeum

As a destination, Malta is known for its plethora of historic fortifications and sun. But perhaps the most unique sight in the country is never getting to see the light of day. Malta has over a dozen megalithic temples, but none is as exciting as Ħal Saflieni Hypogeum. It is an underground neolithic necropolis and is among the world's best-preserved sites of its kind. Even the name “hypogeum,” a Greek word for underground, connotates a sense of mystery and intrigue. In addition, its inclusion as a UNESCO World Heritage Site further propels its popularity with many visitors.

Visiting a neolithic site is often quite disappointing. The lack of written record and general state of disrepair often left me underwhelmed. I assumed Ħal Saflieni Hypogeum would probably be a similar experience. Even though I have never been to Stonehenge or Newgrange, I have heard from many people that these places were quite disappointing. The enjoyment of these sites seems intimately tied to the immersive and interpretative experience of the visitors. After reading that Hypogeum only completed a year-long renovation in 2017, I got high exceptions for this visit.

Getting Tickets

Before the pandemic, it was advised that one must book their ticket to Hypogeum two to four months in advance. Due to the humidity change resulting from human activities, Heritage Malta (the site's custodian) only allows eight visitors every hour. This means only 80 visitors are allowed daily, compared to over seven thousand tourist arrivals before COVID. A silver lining of the ongoing pandemic is that fewer tourists competed for limited tickets. For more than two months, I have been monitoring the available tickets. I noticed that tickets were typically sold out approximately two weeks prior. So, two weeks before our trip, I snapped up the two 9 am spots on our fourth day.

At €35 per adult, the tickets to Hypogeum are not cheap. For comparison, Heritage Malta’s multi-site pass, which covers every site except Hypogeum, costs only €30. But like specialty restaurants on cruise ships, the high cost of Hypogeum tickets may be a means of crowd control. After all, when you have to make a reservation two months in advance and pay this amount, you will do everything possible to make the appointment. And for even one who didn’t get to reserve their spot online, the ten tickets every day were released the day prior at either the Hypogeum or the National War Museum in For St. Elmo. Needless to say, the competition for last-minute tickets is always fierce.

Getting There

The Hypogeum is located in the town of Paola, which is a mere two miles from Valletta’s City Gate. But in Malta, the short physical distance does not necessarily entail quick travel. The directions on Google Maps suggested that it was 10 minutes by car or 20 minutes by public transportation. The night prior, I was reading the reviews of Hypogeum, and a few travelers commented on just how difficult it was to find parking around the Paola. Similarly, Malt’s public transport is notoriously unreliable regarding keeping their published schedule. Because several people missed their coveted appointments for these reasons, we decided to take our own car and leave early enough.

We left our apartment at about 8:15 am and promptly arrived at Paola fifteen minutes later. Luckily, we were able to find a parking spot just a block from Hypogeum. Amazingly, Hypogeum is located in the middle of a dense residential neighborhood. Except for the signage on the museum building, there was no clue that an elaborate man-made cavern was just 10 feet from the street level. For me, this was one of the most fascinating aspects of Hypogeum. I would not be surprised if the Maltese uncovered more of them in the near future.

Descend Into The Underworld

Although the reservation e-mail instructed us to check in at the front desk fifteen minutes before the appointment, the front door employee told us they were not open yet. We had to wait until 9 am sharp to enter the museum building. Well, so much for rushing our breakfast and then just waiting around for 15 minutes. Once inside, our tickets were scanned, and we were instructed to store our bags and electronics in a locker. With clinical efficiency, we were handed an audio guide and funneled into an adjacent darkroom. The tour began with a five-minute video presentation that provided a timeline of the Hypogeum’s discovery.

The discovery of the necropolis was purely accidental. At the turn of the 20th century, Malta experienced a population boom and urban sprawl. In 1902, construction workers working on a new housing development accidentally broke the roof of the necropolis. Not wanting to slow the construction, workers did not inform the authorities of the discovery. However, the tale of a mysterious underground cavern quickly spread. The next year, the first excavation by Malta’s Museum Committee began. Led by Maltese ethnographer and a Jesuit, Manuel Magri, this excavation lacked the rigor that one would expect from archaeologists of the era. Many of the buried treasures and artifacts were discarded without documentation. To make matters worse, most of his notes from this period were lost when he died unexpectedly on assignment to Tunisia. Luckily, his successor, Themistocles Zammit, did a much better job.

The second room is another theater for multimedia presentations. In the middle of the room were about a dozen historic artifacts retrieved from the site. They included skulls, clay figurines, jewelry, and primitive tools. The video presentation sent us back five millennia to the beginning of the Hypogeum and provides a quick overview of the current archaeological understanding of the site. But unbeknown to us, this room actually serves as the intermediate chamber that pressurizes and humidifies the atmosphere before we enter the site.

The first glimpse of the Hypogeum; Image Credit: Heritage Malta.

To see the actual entrance to the Hypogeum was very exciting. The juxtaposition between the rugged ruin and modern steel and glass construction seemed quite jarring. The visitor’s passage has been set up with a stainless steel walkway to prevent further damage from visitor’s foot traffic. The ruin in front of us was the top of the three levels of the Hypogeum. Being the top level, this is the oldest part of the necropolis. Being the oldest layer, this level is not as preserved and is not quite as indicative of the underground world we were about to enter.

This level consists of a passageway to the middle level. An empty courtyard-like space was incorporated into a natural promontory. But the points of interest are a series of burial chambers carved out of existing natural caves. Interestingly, the burial in these chambers was not ritualized. Based on the excavation of the graves, archaeologists believe that the dead were left there to decompose. The ritual burial took place only after the decomposition was completed. They believe the ritual began with a procession down from the steps we took down to the middle level.

The ochre wall painted at the Oracle Room; Image Credit: Heritage Malta.

This middle level was the hypogeum's most spectacular part and where most burial rituals occurred based on the current understanding. It was not difficult to see why they limited the size of the visiting group besides the reason for conservation. The ceiling height of many chambers is low; many spaces could barely accommodate all eight of us. Unlike Roman or early Christian catacombs, the place appears far more organically and disorientating. Because the lighting system within the necropolis was only turned at our specific location, it did not take long for me to lose track of where we were just a few minutes ago. It did not help that many of the original wall paintings and artifacts were now lost. This makes the so-called “Oracle Room” all the more special.

The Oracle Room was named after carved niches on the wall. Whether intentional or not, these niches amplify and create a booming echo effect. The audio guide played an actual recording of the echoing sound, which was quite a haunting sound that sent a chill down my spine. But for the conservation issues, visitors were not allowed to try it out ourselves. Apparently, the moisture from talking, let alone shouting, would disturb the delicate balance of the microclimate and encourage the growth of bacteria. On the ceiling is the vibrant wall painting on the ceiling. The murals are of the organic swirl pattern out of ochre paint. Ochre is natural iron oxide commonly found in yellow and red pigments. Archaeologist concludes that these neolithic people also use ochre to sprinkle over the dead upon burial, thus ochre always represent a passage to the afterlife. And because there is no evidence of a fire pit or ash, it was more than likely that the chamber was only lit with hand-held torches. They say that the shimmering light of the torch made the red swirls dance!

This level was littered with various artifacts now on display in the archaeology museum. But one type of artifact remains on site: the giant stone spheres. Most believe they were used as ball bearings for transporting heavy objects. Throughout this level, many holes in the ground connect to the lowest level. Archaeologists retrieved many valuables from these holes, including the famous Sleeping Lady. These were also places where the remains of approximately six thousand individuals were deposited. Due to the humidity, most of the human bone disintegrated upon touch. A few remaining skeletons are now housed in the archaeology museum as well.

The most spectacular space in the whole Hypogeum is the “Holy of Holies,” a Hebrew term denoting the inner sanctum of an architectural complex. It is the most architecturally elaborate space, prompting archaeologists to assume this was where the sacred burial ritual took place. The chamber was carved out of natural rock to mimic the appearance of a megalithic temple. The lintel and corbelled roof structure served no actual structural purpose. This underground recreation of temple architecture demonstrated the artistic achievement of the Neolithic people. This place offers modern scholars the best representation of how the above-ground temple once looked. Looking into this space, one could not feel a sense of both eerieness and sanctity. Even though many of the original wall paintings have faded, it was still as if the Neolithic inhabitant could appear from any archways.

The “Holy of Holies”; Image Credit: Heritage Malta.

Like many other historic sites discovered before the modern era, Hypogeum did not always receive the most professional treatment after excavation. Local children recounted playing hide and seek within the necropolis and hiding here from the Italian air raid during World War II. In the exhibit, there were even photographs of people keeping cattle down there. To be honest, I am quite surprised that so much of the original wall painting survives to this day. It was certainly a far cry from the high-tech monitoring systems they have nowadays. While it would have been great to visit without all the tight restrictions, I am very glad that they took all the measures to ensure the continued preservation of the site for future generations.

Oddly, one of my favorite parts of the visit was related to the discovery of the Hypogeum. We got to pass by the original cistern that was put in place by the construction worker back in 1920. The original “hole of discovery” is still in place. All archaeologists and visitors had to crawl through the little hole for quite a long time. Eventually, they installed a stone spiral staircase we used for the exit. Overall, the underground tour was quite short, and I was not ready to return to daylight yet. But what surprised me the most was that we did not get to visit the lowest level of the Hypogeum.

National Museum of Archaeology

Any visit to the hypogeum should not be complemented with a stop at the National Museum Of Archaeology back in Valletta. Also managed by Heritage Malta, the museum is home to many artifacts recovered from the necropolis. The most significant and famous is the Sleeping Lady, a small figurine of an “obese woman” resting sideways on the couch. Despite its small size, the realism and artistry of the piece are quite astonishing. Archaeologists believe the sleeping figurine represents the passage to the afterlife. But like so many things about the Hypogeum, the Sleeping Lady is an eternal mystery. No matter the true meaning, this little figurine is one of the most recognizable symbols of Malta today. Its image and iconograph proliferate across varieties of merchandise, from t-shirts to calendars.

The famous Sleeping Lady figurine is indeed an incredible work of art from 5,000 years ago.

The museum is home to many excavated artifacts, such as stone tools and pottery fragments from the Hypogeum. This included one of the very few surviving skeletons from the Hypogeum that was also on display. Luck just had it that our visit coincided with a temporary exhibit entitled “Alien Headaches? The Hypogeum Skulls Enigma”. Ever since their discovery, the excavated skulls have long fascinated the public. Temi Zammit described the peculiar shapes as “elongated skulls,” and subsequent forensic examination confirms its elongated shape is not the result of artificial cranial deformation (skull binding). That further enhanced the mystery of these ancient people.

Their peculiar shape inspired plenty of conspiracy theories. Not surprisingly, extraterrestrial is among the most common hypotheses floated among the general public. As an aspiring anthropologist, any mention of aliens annoyed the shit out of me. Claiming alien origin is just a cop-out and distracts the effort in scientific inquiry. I suspect the main objective of this exhibit was to dispel the mystery of these remains. For decades, these skulls were hidden from view but remain available for viewing by scholars and the press. But because they were not on public display, it helped to fuel the conspiracies of a governmental “coverup.” It was a classic case where the perceived “secrecy,” however innocent, often led to exploitation.

One of the six surviving skulls that was excavated from the Hypogeum.

Beautiful architecture at the National Museum of Archaeology, housed within the former Auberge de Provence.

Artifacts aside, the museum occupies one of the most historic structures in Valletta. The building is the Auberge de Provence, the lodging house for the Provence’s contingent for the Knight of Saint John. Although Heritage Museum did not seem to put much money or energy into the museum or exhibit, it is nevertheless a beautiful palace. The archway over the entry foyer was stunning. But apparently, we missed out on what was supposed to be the most spectacular banquet space in Malta: the Gran Salon.

Final Thoughts

Without a written language system, so much about the Neolithic culture is still not understood today. I found that to be both frustrating and liberating. On one end, we did not appreciate the sophistication of the Neolithic culture. But a certain level of mystery adds to the imagination as we go through the necropolis. We could also take everything we heard with a grain of salt. I wouldn’t be surprised if our understanding of Hypogeum shifted over the next few decades. All it took was one major discovery to shed light on the necropolis. I am so glad they have taken the preservation so seriously.

Obligatory picture outside of the museum entrance.

So, was the visit to Hypogeum worth the cost and effort? Definitely! It was a historical sight like no other, and we felt privileged to be one of the few people who could visit this place. Even though modern Maltese is not the direct descendant of these prehistorical people, Malta’s national identity is intrinsically linked to them. That said, I wouldn’t say there was no room for improvement. As many online reviewers stated, the staff of Heritage Malta on site were more of administrators with little knowledge (or passion) of the site. There was no Q&A session at the end, and the tour relied entirely on the narration of the audio guide.

Speaking of their audio guide, the narration was good, but there seemed to be too much background music between stops. We were often crowded in a tight space, waiting for the narration to come on. The pre-recorded audio guide could never substitute for a well-knowledged tour guide. Thankfully, the “no photography” rule of the visit allowed us to enjoy the visit and be “within the moment” without distraction. For those who thought they could somehow sneak a camera in, I could attest that it was useless. Given just how dimly lit the Hypogeum is, it would be difficult to get any decent photo without a tripod.

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