themacabrenbold: Punic Temple, Ras il-Wardija, #GozoCarved in rock, the Punic temple was used during
themacabrenbold: Punic Temple, Ras il-Wardija, #GozoCarved in rock, the Punic temple was used during the #Roman period and probably as a Christian site as well At the little-known limits of of San Lawrenz is the area of Ras il-Wardija at the southwest coast of Gozo, Malta. There lies a Punic-Roman sanctuary, which was excavated by Italian archaeologists in the 1960s. It is believed that the Ras il-Wardija area was first inhabited in the Bronze Age, in around 1500 BC. around the 3rd century BC, during the #Punic period, a religious complex (probably a nymphaeum) was built there. The site is visible from the sea, so the nymphaeum may have served as a beacon. The temple was dedicated to the Punic #goddess #Tanit, as evidenced by her sign, carved in a niche in the south wall of the cavern. It was in use by the 3rd century BC to the end of the first century AD. Thus it was also used as a sanctuary. Tanit has a Phonecian counterpart, #Astarte. The triangular head and the outstretched cross-like arms of Tanit prove her identity. She was the goddess of both strife and love; in the former aspect, she was the goddess of #death and of #love, two fundamental forces that heaven bestowed on mankind. During the Roman period it was still in use and the carved crosses inside the temple’s wall suggest it may have been a Christian site. The site remained in use until around the 4th century AD, and it is believed that it served as a pilgrimage destination during the medieval period.A T-shaped corridor leads to a rock-hewn rectangular chamber surrounded by niches on its walls. There is also a water reservoir and a bell-shaped well, also both rock-hewn and an external altar.The masonry structure has some similarities to the remains of the Punic-Roman sanctuary at Tas-Silġ in #Marsaxlokk, #MyMalta©TheMacabreNBold -- source link