A giant anniversary for UNESCO-listed Ġgantija temples
It’s been 40 years since the Neolithic temples of Ġgantija were officially inscribed in the world heritage list
In Gozitan folklore, the Neolithic temples of Ġgantija were actually believed − on account of the size of their enormous megaliths − to have been constructed by a giantess fed on a diet of broad beans and honey. Now, circa 5,600 years later, the temples are celebrating another giant milestone.
This year commemorates the 40th anniversary since the Ġgantija Temples were officially inscribed in the UNESCO world heritage site list. Way back in 1980, only a limited number of sites worldwide had made it onto the hallowed roll call. That same year, the city of Valletta and the Ħal Saflieni Hypogeum were also accorded UNESCO status.
“Considering that we are a small country in the Mediterranean, that speaks volumes about the richness of our cultural identity, doesn’t it,” says Daphne Sant Caruana, principal curator for the Ġgantija Temples at Heritage Malta.
UNESCO’s criteria for selection is naturally quite stringent. Besides ensuring that a natural or cultural site’s authenticity is well preserved, it must specifically be of “outstanding universal value”. Furthermore, the...