Having carefully chosen the site where the temple was to be built, the temple-builders must have started by planning the main doorway. Here a basic standard principle was noted in the majority of the temples. The length of a main doorway was to be equal to its outside width, including the thickness of uprights (Fig. 1). In this study this is referred to as the d-unit of measurement. Every temple has its own particular d-unit which is different from the others.

It was found that all the temples which have their main axis restored (taking into consideration minor differences due to the weathering of stones, and misplaced or missing elements) follow this rule except three: Ta’ Hagrat East, the Holy of Holies in the Hypogeum and Mnajdra East 

(Table 1,  based on published temple plans).

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