Petition To Revoke PA’s Ġgantija Apartments Decision Gets Over 2,000 Signatures
A petition to revoke the permit for an apartment block just metres away from the Ġgantija temples in Xagħra, Gozo has received over 2,000 signatures in less than a week.
“Ġgantija is part of our identity, a UNESCO World Heritage site, and the pride of our nation. We have to protect it,” the creator of the petition told Lovin Malta.
The change.org petition was launched last Friday and it’s already gathered the support of 2,321 people.
The Planning Authority approved plans for a three-story apartment, an overlying maisonette with a pool, and two two-car garages less than 250 metres away from Ġgantija.
The approval comes despite years of objections from residents, activists, and even local organisations, warning of the dangerous precedent that such an approval would set in a historically sensitive area.
“Ġgantija Archaeological Park is a UNESCO World Heritage Site consisting of two structures built over 5,000 years ago, between c.3600 and c.3200 BCE, about 1000 years before the magnificent pyramids of Egypt,” the petition reads.
“They rank amongst the earliest free-standing stone buildings in the world and are remarkable for their diversity of form and decoration. The Ġgantija temples are an architectural masterpiece and a witness to an exceptional prehistoric culture renowned for its remarkable architectural, artistic, and technological achievements.”
“Remains of animal bone discovered in this site suggest communal rituals and feasting. The presence of stone hearths shows the use of fire. A number of libation holes in the floor may have been used for the pouring of liquid offerings. It is probable that during ceremonial activities, the congregation would have assembled outside the monument since the large forecourt in front of the two structures was purposely raised by the same builders.”
The site is situated halfway between the Ġgantija temples and the historic Ta’ Kola Xagħra windmill, which is a Grade One scheduled building.
Meanwhile, the Planning Authority has celebrated the approval, saying that “this residential development was downsized substantially and will not compromise the area of Archaeological importance in the vicinity of Ġgantija Temples”.
The aim of this petition is to get the PA to notice the substantial opposition to their approval and potentially reconsider its decision.
If you’re interested in signing this petition click here.
Do you think that the PA should reconsider its decision?
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