“Although we hope the shelter is completed by 2013, the site currently suffers from a water flow problem whenever it rains heavily. Hence studies need to take place before works start on the shelter to see how to treat the drops of water which would fall from the shelter and which could cause extensive damage to the slabs of stone if the problem is not treated correctly”
With as many as 100,000 people visiting the Tarxien temples last year, the preservation and conservation of one of the country’s most visited sites is of utmost importance, stressed Prime Minister Lawrence Gonzi as he paid a visit to the site last week.
“As part of a €9.2 million archaeological heritage conservation project, plans are underway to construct a €2 million canopy which would provide the Tarxien temples with shelter and give them protection against the elements.
“Moreover, EU funds will also contribute to the installation of a walkway to make the site more accessible and wheelchair friendly and the construction of a visitor centre which would give visitors an in depth explanation on the historical importance of the site around them.
“The rest of the €7.2 million will be spent on upgrading and conservation works, which will soon commence on the Ggantija Temples and the St Paul’s Catacombs in Rabat,” said Dr Gonzi, who was accompanied by his wife Kate and parliamentary secretary Mario de Marco.
Of a total of 900 world heritage sites, six can be found in Malta alone, and approximately one million people visited the sites last year, said Dr Gonzi.
The Tarxien temples site consists of a complex of four megalithic structures built between 3600 and 2500 BC and is thought to have been discovered in 1913 by local farmers, after which the site was extensively excavated between 1915 and 1919 by Sir Temi Zammit, Director of Museums at the time.
“The temples are a major worldwide attraction, giving Malta a competitive edge over many other countries in this regard. The temples have accumulated more damage in the past 100 years than in the past 500 years, which highlights the urgent responsibility the government has to address the situation and conserve the temples to keep them in pristine condition,” added the Prime Minister.
As Dr Gonzi went round viewing the stone blocks which depicted various spiral designs and animal representations, which included goats, bulls and pigs, the chairman of Heritage Malta, Joseph Said, commented that plans for a shelter to cover the temples were proposed as early as the 1930s.
However, they fell through, probably in light of the Great Depression, he said.
“Although we hope the shelter is completed by 2013, the site currently suffers from a water flow problem whenever it rains heavily. Hence studies need to take place before works start on the shelter to see how to treat the drops of water which would fall from the shelter and which could cause extensive damage to the slabs of stone if the problem is not treated correctly,” said Mr Said.
He added that the visitor centre is bound to be beneficial, as ever since one was created at the Hal Saflieni Hypogeum in Paola a few years ago, there has never been a single complaint that the place was not value for money.
Author: Scott Grech | Source: The Malta Independent [August 02, 2010]