The caves came to light in 1858, when the area began to be quarried for its hard coralline rock which was used to build the docks in the Grand Harbour.

Studies were then taken up by Commander Thomas Abel Brimage Spratt in 1861, who excavated a site known as Ħalq is-Siġar at Magħlaq and confirmed the presence of a variety of fossilised animal remains, including an abundance of hippopotami bones, evidence of dwarf elephants, giant dormice, weasels, owls, bats and birds, besides many other snail fossils.

The presence of these large boulders placed in orderly fashion despite their size and weight ignited the fantasy of some and led them to interpret the site as the work of giants, following what others also believed that the island was inhabited by a race of giants who came here after the great Flood described in Genesis 2, believing that these were the descendants of Noah and who in Malta built structures such as Ħaġar Qim temples.

He also put forward his opinion on these ruins saying that: "I can compare it with no other remains that I have ever seen or read of: I consider it to be quite unique and dissimilar to any discovery hitherto treated of."

Of particular note are the large megaliths that shape the outer wall and which are pieced by an entrance in the middle formed of a trilithon structure, which, in turn, leads to a number of chambers.

The temple complex has many other interesting features which make the adjacent museum and inside environment enticing to discover, that include stone altars, the mystic oracle hole, two stumps of legs possibly of 'Mother Goddess' figures, as well as the discovery of a small clay figurine depicting a woman after having given birth termed as, "The Venus of Malta", and a small floral engraved stone altar.

The Mnajdra structures are sited towards the edge of the promontory facing Filfa – the islet which pops out of the water a short distance away and separated from the mainland by the blue sea so predominant in this area, and is "probably the most atmospheric all the temples"; as it is tucked into a hollow of the cliffs and surrounded by the natural and marine environment.

Visitors are stricken with the neatness and regularity of the first course of orthostatic slabs which go round the apses of the middle temple, added to the precision one cannot but notice also the lower than usual size of this first course which barely reaches one meter in height.

The explanation for the presence of these cavities is not a straightforward conclusion, but seems plausible that they were dug there for the collection and maintaining of a secure reservoir of fresh water.

The Qrendi dolmen, which may have served as a burial chamber is described as having a capstone which is appreciably larger – 4.4m by 3.8m – supported on a four course irregular dry stone walling.

A feature catching one's attention is a groove cut round its perimeter piercing the capping slab by a hole that may have served for religious rituals in the past.

It was Mgr Balageur Camarasa who, following his consecration as Bishop of Malta in February 1636, visited Qrendi, and who then examined the parish church and its altars.

On reaching the top, while Don Domenico was stepping on a plank of the scaffolding he tripped and fell to the ground dying on the spot – a victim of his remarkable zeal.

The current titular painting was commissioned in 1917 to the renowned artist Giuseppe Calì and replaced the one that hung on the main altar, the work of Rocco Buhagiar The Qrendi parish church has two sacristies.

In a later pastoral visit, this time by Bishop Balaguer which took place in 1636, we get a better description of the medieval structure The present baroque chapel was built between 1650 and 1668, and is considered an architectural jewel.

The titular painting which dates to the 17th century shows the Virgin of Mercy who is seated on the clouds and a moon while holding the child Christ who is standing on her knee.

This piece of art was attributed to Giuseppe d'Arena, an Italian painter who was active in Malta and was connected to the circle of Mattia Preti.

However Prof. Keith Sciberras more recently ascribed it to Filippino Dingli The style of the chapel followed the common Latin cross design of Christian churches.

The titular painting done in 1688 by a member of the school or a follower of Mattia Preti and which is today attributed to Giuseppe d'Arena who had close connections to Preti, represents the martyrdom of St. Matthew and had been commissioned by the French Knight Commendatore Nicolò Communette St. Matthew fell victim to the Axis bombing during World War Two when on 12 April 1942 it had its façade and other parts blown out.

The original chapel dedicated to the Nativity of Our Lady was built by Giovanni Schembri to fulfil his vow as also documented in the acts of Notary Giuliano Briffa of 7 September 1565.

The interior also exhibits a number of ex-voto silver icons representing the 'newly born' and various 'illness' symbols indicating that this chapel was devotionally sought by those in need.

Spiteri left funds which were to be used for the singing of vespers and the celebration of Mass on the feast day The present chapel has a simple façade with no decoration except for three square windows – one on each side of the door and the third one high up above it.

Due to this, several towers were built in or around Qrendi: One prominent member of the Order of St. John who chose Qrendi for one of his places of retreat was Fra Philipp-Wolfgang von Guttenberg Guttenberg's fortified house was built in the Ħal Lew area and is sited on the left-hand side of the street as one enters the square in front of the sanctuary dedicated to Our Lady of Mercy.

The defensive dwelling was formerly owned by the Bailiff Fra Pietro Francesco Rovero De Guarena and is situated on the road leading to the temples of Ħagar Qim after passing the small chapel dedicated to Our Lady of Graces.

Not meant as a status of beauty and wealth but rather to serve as a residence offering a measure of protection and defence from any eventual attack from unexpected sea raiders in the Qrendi area.

The defensive structure is easily detected from the windows placed high in the walls of the ground floor while the turret on the roof served as a lookout post.

He was an important benefactor who partially financed the silver screen that was put up to enclose what today is the chapel of the Blessed Sacrament in St. John's Co-Cathedral and which during Guarena's time was dedicated to Our Lady of Philermos in the Order's Conventual Church.

For the first five years it was rented to the same di Giovanni alternating with Domenico Grixti of Żurrieq, Ġużeppi Caruana of Luqa and Mikiel Micallef of Lija.

The windmill of Qrendi did not cease its operation as a grain mill with the termination of the Order's rule in Malta, as it still had more than a century of grinding to perform In the first decade of British rule while Sir Alexander Ball was Civil Commissioner (1802-1809), it was decided to erect a number of gardens around Malta named Ġnien tal-Kmand, whose original aim was to increase the greenery of the islands but the same gardens became also experimental agricultural centres.

On 10 February 1974, another terrible accident occurred when Emanuel Aquilina, Martin Mallia and Jack Bugeja died whilst manufacturing some fireworks.