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Sacred Place
It is not the presence of a recognizable shrine or direct religious
association that lends Ta' Cenc its air of sanctity; it depends rather
upon the confluence of set of conditions that have the effect of lifting
the human mind and spirit beyond the limits of quotidian concerns. Nor
can
the unmistakable sense of sacredness pervading the plateau at Ta' Cenc
be attributed exclusively to the rather ephemeral archaeological remains.
More important is the fact that the few concrete traces of religiosity
are unenclosed and set apart from virtually all subsequent development
or modification. The stones of the dolmen, megalithic alignments, gallery
grave and temple remains may be difficult to distinguish from the scatter
of rock produced by natural forces, but these objects seem to belong
to and express a condition present in the site. Standing up from the
table of rock, acquire a relation with the horizon, with the elements
sky, sun, sea and wind, and with a landscape in no way softened by nature
or humanity. In precisely the abstraction and severity of these conditions
lies a distinct spirituality captured by the builders of the megalithic
monuments and still evident today.
Parker
and Rubenstein have identified the Borg ta' L-Imramma Temples as part
of a cruciform pattern of sacred sites on Gozo, which may even be connected
with sites in Sicily. While these relationships are not visible to the
modern visitor, the temple site does convey a sense of centrality and
a microcosmic quality. The site swells gently at the centre of the plateau
and offers a complete panoramic view. The nearest horizon at the edge
of the plateau echoes the curved forms of the temple spaces and the
curve of the earth itself. Thus the archaeological value of the site
is amplified by its extraordinary unspoiled context. The visitor, therefore,
has the opportunity not only to experience the site in much the same
condition it was when the temple was built, but also to appreciate its
sacredness at a more universal level as a concentrated microcosm of
the human condition.
Place of Remoteness | Ancient
Inhabitation | Ecological
Rarity
Contact Us: tacenc@vjborg.com
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