I refer to Mr Attard’s letter Utter Disappointment At Xagħra Heritage (October 5).

While regretting that customers were disappointed and continuously striving to improve the site and the related services, Heritage Malta would like to point out the following: The entrance ticket to Ġgantija does not, as misconstrued by Mr Attard, entitle visitors to visit 10 sites: it is a combo-ticket covering admission to the Ġgantija Temples and Ta’ Kola Windmill.

Mr Attard’s misunderstanding presumably arose from the Xagħra Heritage Map featured on the Ġgantija brochure (handed out free of charge) which informs the visitor of a number of other places of interest in Xagħra. In no way is it implied that the ticket covers admission to all these other locations, which in fact also include sites which can be visited free of charge, such as the parish church and which Heritage Malta is in no way responsible for.

Only one of the two temples at Ġgantija is cordoned off. There is also a clear disclaimer at the ticket booth window which states so. The smaller temple is currently cordoned off for reasons of conservation, although plans are in hand to reopen it in 2011.

Information on the Ġgantija Temples is presently provided by the brochure and by a multilingual information podium on site. Guided tours are also available upon request every Tuesday, Thursday and Friday at 11 a.m. as noted on site. Heritage Malta is currently working on a number of initiatives to increase on-site interpretation, including two interactive kiosks which will be launched soon.

The scaffolding is at present a necessary evil. Heritage Malta is currently conducting an in-depth structural study co-financed by the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) focusing on the scaffolding and the search for better ways of consolidating the megalithic structure.

A comment by the mayor of Xagħra on timesofmalta.com saying that “the walls of the temple are protecting this scaffolding from falling” is misinformed and misleading.

The situation is serious, and parts of the façade are at present dependent on the steel structure, which cannot be removed until a more suitable structural solution is identified and implemented.

Furthermore, signage on site advises visitors that there are restoration works in progress that may partially obstruct their view of some parts of the monument.

Heritage Malta gives full attention to the Ġgantija Temples as to all other sites under its guardianship.

At Ġgantija it is currently implementing a €3.1 million project co-financed through the ERDF, including the building of an information centre, a pathway linking the information centre to the temples, landscaping and a survey on the structural stability of the temples. Heritage Malta is also conducting a number of initiatives supported by the Vodafone Foundation, including the installation of a weather station, two interactive kiosks, security cameras and a visitor walkway within the temples.