This year is the 40th anniversary since UNESCO declared the Ggantija Temples a World Heritage Site in 1980 and the event is being celebrated by Heritage Malta.

Heritage Malta said that at the same time, Valletta and the Hal Saflieni Hypogeum were also given the same recognition.

Noel Zammit, Heritage Malta’s Chief Executive Officer, said in a statement that this anniversary is not only important for the prestigious recognition given to Ggantija itself, but even more for the importance behind it.

“The title ‘World Heritage Site’ has great significance because it means that the site is noted as being of outstanding importance and unique to humanity, and therefore needs to be protected and preserved,” said Mr Zammit.

Ggantija’s inscription in the UNESCO World Heritage Site List was extended in 1992 to include the Temples of Hagar Qim, Mnajdra, Ta’ Hagrat and Skorba.

Heritage Malta went on to say that beyond the prestige, the title of ‘World Heritage Site’ comes with a duty to make sound decisions to safeguard the integrity and authenticity of these unique sites.

Heritage Malta said that it is committed to carrying out a number of measures which ensure their protection and preservation.

At the Ggantija Temples site, Heritage Malta said that these include, the implementation of a conservation plan which requires its stone conservators to carry out regular interventions to protect the stone fabric of the site.

A project by Heritage Malta also aims to find solutions to improve the structural stability of part of the temples’ facade.

Heritage Malta concluded by saying that UNESCO has allocated funds to this project, which have been used to purchase a set of movement sensors that enable the collection of data necessary for future decisions on the subsequent phases of this project.

Photo by Alain Salvary

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