News • 1 June 2003

Tenting the temples is still an idea

Kurt Sansone

The construction of a protective structure for the world’s oldest free standing monuments, Mnajdra and Hagar Qim, is not yet on the drawing board even though government intends tapping EU funds to invest in the project.

It will be some time before the stone-age temples get protection as government is still in the process of submitting the draft single programming document to the European Commission. The document will identify the areas that would be given priority for funding through the structural funds of the EU.

It is only after the single programming document is approved that projects benefiting from funding will be short-listed.

Minister for Culture Jesmond Mugliett told MaltaToday that during the previous administration, the plans for the conservation of the prehistoric temples centred on the erection of covers of a temporary nature. Letting loose the architect in him Mugliett added: "We are now taking a wider approach to the matter questioning the permanency, aesthetics and the relation of such protective structures in such a delicate environmental setting." He said the groundwork that was commissioned and accomplished during the last legislature by the Ministry for Education still applies to the present scenario.

However, Mugliett would not commit himself to a specific date as to when the project would start. "It would be premature to commit ourselves to any specific date at this stage since Government is still in the process of submitting its proposal for the funding of specific projects by the European Union."

The idea floated to cover the temples in a tent-like structure has created quite a stir given the particular location of the two historic gems. Asked whether other alternatives are being explored, Mugliett said the construction of tents is only one of the options being considered. "There are also proposals to erect more firm, semi-permanent structures that can be opened in certain circumstances," Mugliett said.

The project to protect two of Malta’s renowned prehistoric temples is certain to attract the imagination of architects and civil engineers and the underlying intention is to open the design competition to international architects.

kurt@maltamag.com