The Megalithic Temples of Malta Article Send to Google Classroom: X The megalithic temples of Malta and Gozo rank amongst the oldest free-standing buildings in the world. Construction of these temples started c. 3500 BCE, an impressive architectural feat for their time, particularly given that the builders had limited access to materials and did not have metal tools at their disposal. Though we do not know much about how these people lived before their disappearance in 2500 BCE, the temples they left behind can tell us a lot about the progression of their art style and even start to give us a picture of their religious practices.