A giant step
On August 11 a temporary visitors centre will be opened at the Ggantija temple complex at Xaghra, Gozo. The Ggantija Temples are one of the most important archaeological sites in Malta. The origins of the site date back to the Ggantija phase (3600 -...
On August 11 a temporary visitors centre will be opened at the Ggantija temple complex at Xaghra, Gozo. The Ggantija Temples are one of the most important archaeological sites in Malta. The origins of the site date back to the Ggantija phase (3600 - 3200 B.C.). Former Lieutenant Governor of Malta John Otto Bayer was the first to excavate the temples in 1827. Further extensive archaeological and restoration work was carried out in the early 20th century to ensure their preservation.
The Ggantija megalithic complex consists of two temples surrounded by a massive common boundary wall. One of the most striking features of the entire complex, the boundary wall, is built using the alternating header and stretcher technique, with some of the megaliths exceeding five metres in length and weighing over 50 tons.
The temples are built from rough, coralline limestone blocks. Each temple contains five apses connected by a central corridor leading to the innermost trefoil (clover leaf shaped) section. The first temple is larger and contains a variety of features such as altars, relief carvings and libation holes. The second temple was built later and lacks these features. Also of interest is the corbelling technique evident on the inwardly inclined walls, suggesting that the temple was originally roofed in stone.
The gigantic dimensions of the megaliths have always struck a chord with popular imagination. In centuries past, some locals even believed that the islands' temples, in particular those of Ggantija, were the work of giants. Hence its name.
The temporary visitor centre at Ggantija will include a ticketing office and a museum shop.
The Ggantija megalithic complex consists of two temples surrounded by a massive common boundary wall. One of the most striking features of the entire complex, the boundary wall, is built using the alternating header and stretcher technique, with some of the megaliths exceeding five metres in length and weighing over 50 tons.
The temples are built from rough, coralline limestone blocks. Each temple contains five apses connected by a central corridor leading to the innermost trefoil (clover leaf shaped) section. The first temple is larger and contains a variety of features such as altars, relief carvings and libation holes. The second temple was built later and lacks these features. Also of interest is the corbelling technique evident on the inwardly inclined walls, suggesting that the temple was originally roofed in stone.
The gigantic dimensions of the megaliths have always struck a chord with popular imagination. In centuries past, some locals even believed that the islands' temples, in particular those of Ggantija, were the work of giants. Hence its name.
The temporary visitor centre at Ggantija will include a ticketing office and a museum shop.