Commentary

First things first, but not in Gozo!

Colin Renfrew, who has done a lot to enhance the monumental temples and other prehistoric remains of Malta and Gozo, has no doubt about it. According to this world renowned archaeology expert, "the most impressive of the temples is Ggantija on Gozo".

Renfrew, a First Class Honours graduate in Archaeology from the University of Cambridge, cannot be wrong. "The façade," he wrote way back in 1973, "perhaps the earliest architecturally conceived exterior in the world, is memorably imposing. Large slabs of coralline limestone, alternatively stretching and heading, rise to a height of eight metres; these slabs are up to four metres high for the first course, and, above this, six courses of megalithic blocks still survive. A small temple model of the period suggests that originally the façade might have been as high as 16 metres. It forms two concave curves, with doorways to the temples in the centre of each curve."

The Guinness Book of Records asserts that Ggantija is "the oldest free standing structure in the world".

In 1987, soon after the Nationalist Party was voted into power after 16 years of Socialist rule, there was a lot of talk about the restoration of these temples. The subject certainly came up in many public official discussions.

Through the interest of Anton Tabone, the first Minister for Gozo, several foreign experts were brought over to report on the plight and predicament of Ggantija. Reports were certainly presented to the Museum authorities, though they were never made public, and something was indeed done.

The floor of the temples was covered with a wooden flooring. It has saved the floor from further erosion by the over 100,000 persons trampling around every year. Some areas were cordoned off. Then supporting structures of aluminium and iron balanced by huge ugly blocks of concrete were placed inside and outside the South Temple to prevent the remaining megalithic walls from caving in. An automatic weather station was also placed above the North temple, presumably to record rainfall and wind velocity.

It was thought that all these were temporary measures. However they now form part and parcel of the temples' structures. This flooring conceals the original flagstones and has already worn out in areas. The iron rods carrying the ropes have become rather shabby. The supporting structures are rapidly rusting.

After the government spent millions on the Hal Saflieni Hypogeum and regaled Malta and the world with a state-of-the-art archaeological site, it had been almost taken for granted that the next monument to be restored would be what world experts affirm is "the most impressive of the temples".

When some years back, Fondazzjoni Patrimonju Malti organised an exhibition in the Hall of the Ministry for Gozo, this statement was made by more than one speaker. The Museum authorities had in fact promised former Gozo Minister Anton Tabone that Ggantija would be tackled next.

In the meantime the Museum authorities were superseded by Heritage Malta and priorities changed overnight. The Gozo Ministry is represented on this committee. It is not known if the Gozitan representative pressured the committee to take the Museum authorities' promise into consideration. He must certainly be aware of the precarious state of the temples, even if he is not responsible for the museums in Gozo - a task ably carried out by another dedicated person.

It would be interesting to know what reasons were brought forward by Heritage Malta to put "the most impressive of the temples" on hold and to decide to restore instead Hagar Qim and Mnajdra. Not that these two are not also in dire need of rehabilitation, but tomorrow may be too late. Is it a case of indeed doing first things first, but not in Gozo!