The Maltese legend tells that “Sunsana the Giant”, would have, from the cliffs of Ta’ Cenc, transported on her head these enormous blocks of stone… History and archeology lovers: welcome to the temple of Ggantija, the Tower of the Giants!
The temple: colossal
Older than the pyramids of Egypt and listed as a World Heritage Site, the temple of Ggantija dates back to 3600-3000 years BC. Composed of two parts in the shape of a cloverleaf, the site is colossal: 50 x 35 meters of surface and the height of the stones reaches nearly 6 meters with an estimated weight of 50 tons for the largest! Each cloverleaf contains rooms separated by walls of globigerine, the soft stone of Malta. Engraved on the walls, mysterious inscriptions have not yet revealed all the secrets surrounding this period of Malta’s history.
Remains of altars, holes in the ground for libations (offerings during which water or blood of sacrificed animals flowed), we do not know which gods were worshipped in the temple of Ggantija… As well as appreciating its rounded shape, we suppose that it also had a roof. The men of the time must have been skilled in calculation and architecture, because the stones are still standing 6000 years later, although a little shored up by scaffolding.
The Ggantija Museum
Before visiting the temple itself, the Ggantija Archaeological Museum (well air-conditioned in summer!) welcomes you in a modern structure.
Rich of objects and vestiges discovered on the site during the excavations, you can admire there potteries, statuettes and other incredibly preserved amulets and the working tools of this period. Exposed human bones have been “auscultated” and you learn what diseases prehistoric men and women of Gozo suffered from.
The path from the museum to the temple is beautifully laid out and the view is extraordinary: the builders knew how to choose beautiful places to erect their temples! The planting in progress suggests a pleasant vegetation in the months to come.
The museum is a nice educational tool with short videos, clear explanatory panels and very interesting displays. The only drawback is that if you don’t speak Shakespeare’s language, you will lose valuable information, as there is no audio-guide in foreign languages to take the tour.
We therefore recommend that, if you can, you take a tour with a guide who speaks your language and can best explain what you are seeing.
The visit of the temple of Ggantija
Self-guided tour
You can get there yourself by car or by tourist bus and pick up your ticket on the spot, in which case it might be a good idea to take the My Little Malta discount card, valid at all historic sites and museums managed by Heritage Malta.
With the My Little Malta discount card discount card, get 30% off your entrance ticket.
Guided tour of the temples of Ggantija
From Malta, you can book a day trip with a guide who will speak the language of your choice. He will pick you up at your accommodation in Malta and take you to the temple by ferry.
This will save you the hassle of organizing the trip yourself, and allow you to discover and understand the mysteries of Ggantija’ s ancient temples.
Free cancellation
Pick-up service included
Book now, pay later
Our advice
♦ Arrive as early as 9am in summer because with the heat of the stone, visiting the temple is suffocating. Perfect if you prefer a cooler month in the fall and spring!
♦ You can book your guided tour in various languages, see here : Virtual tour in other languages
♦ Directions to Ggantija Temple: By car and By bus
Discover here the history of Malta summarized in one article.
