
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 5600 years later, the temples are celebrating another giant milestone.
This year commemorates the 40th anniversary since the Ġgantija Temples were officially inscribed into the UNESCO World Heritage Site list. Way back in 1980, only a limited amount of sites worldwide had made it onto the hallowed roll call. That same year the City of Valletta and the Ħal Saflieni Hypoguem 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?” asserts Daphne Sant Caruana, Principal Curator for the Ġgantija Temples at Heritage Malta