Two huge panels in the protective shelter covering Ħaġar Qim temples were ripped apart in the gale force winds that hit the island on Friday, though the megalithic stones were not damaged.
The cost to repair the rip in the shelter, which formed part of €4.6 million EU funded project, is still unknown.
“We don’t know how much the damage will amount to until the investigation is completed,” Heritage Malta chairman Joe Said told The Sunday Times.
Heritage Malta, which is responsible for Ħaġar Qim and its sister temple Mnajdra, issued a statement yesterday saying a thorough inspection of the prehistoric structures on Satur-day morning “confirmed that no damage to the temples was sustained”.
The white egg-like structure covering Mnajdra remained untouched in the winds that fluctuated between force eight and nine on Friday but the one covering Ħaġar Qim was not so lucky.
Two large panels on the back part of the temple were torn out from the wire frame securing the whole perimeter with ripped shards still flapping in the strong winds yesterday morning.
Both temples, which are World Heritage sites and recognised as the oldest free standing structures in the world, were closed to the public yesterday and members of the press were not allowed inside.
Mr Said explained that the panels were probably damaged in the early evening.
Heritage Malta staff immediately went on site and, with the help of the Civil Protection Department, stabilised those components that were loosened or torn by the wind in the “dark and difficult weather conditions”.
Last night, Heritage Malta said the Mnajdra Temples would open again today after “verifications” while “remedial works” had started on Ħagar Qim’s protective shelter.
However, Ħagar Qim will remain closed until further notice. “It all depends on the investigation, but hopefully it will be soon,” Mr Said added.
Among others, the investigation will look into whether the protective covers were built to withstand the gale force winds, not uncommon between January and March.
Mr Said also confirmed that engineers from the Italian company that won the international tender to build the shelters were expected to arrive yesterday afternoon from Milan to examine the damage.
It is not the first time that the Italian company, chosen following an international design competition, inspected the damage to the shelters. In January 2009, a small panel was ripped out of the Mnajdra temple.
Experts had explained then that the fabric was damaged by gale force winds because it was still being in the process of being installed and, therefore, was not yet taut.
The tent and the Visitor’s Centre were inaugurated during a lavish ceremony last September, presided over by Prime Minister Lawrence Gonzi.
The decision to install the shelters goes back to 2000, when a team of scientists proposed covering the temples with a temporary structure, with a 25 to 30-year life span, which would buy more time for the experts to come up with a solution for the long-term preservation of the sites.