Prehistoric Sites of Malta – Ġgantija

At the centre of the coin, the temple complex of Ġgantija, located on the island of Gozo. On the inner ring, at the upper right, the inscription “ĠGANTIJA TEMPLES” is engraved, with the date range “3800-3200 BC” below it. At the lower left: the issuing state “MALTA” and, below it, the year “2016”, flanked by the mint master's mark and the mintmark.

This 2-euro commemorative coin exists in three varieties. Those in the BU coincard were struck in Pessac and carry the mint's mark and that of mint master Yves Sampo (MT-16 G2). Coins in the ST coin set show an “F” in the lower star (MT-16 G3). Coins from roll stock carry no mintmark (MT-16 G1).

The Ġgantija temples on the Maltese island of Gozo are among the oldest free-standing structures in human history. Built between roughly 3800 and 3200 BC, they predate the Egyptian pyramids and Britain's Stonehenge by millennia. The complex consists of two interconnected temples built from massive limestone blocks — some weighing several tonnes. That a community achieved such structures without metal tools or the wheel makes Ġgantija one of the most fascinating testimonies to Neolithic building technique and social organisation to this day.

Situated on a plateau above the village of Xagħra in the northeast of Gozo, the temples have been part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Malta's prehistoric sites since 1980. For the island nation, they are a central part of collective historical consciousness: nowhere else on Maltese soil does documented settlement reach so far back. In 2016, Malta honoured Ġgantija as the first issue in the seven-part series "Prehistoric Sites of Malta", which has since progressively presented the archipelago's most significant Neolithic monuments. Starting the series with Ġgantija was a natural choice — the Gozo site is not only the oldest in the series but is also considered one of the best-preserved megalithic structures of its era worldwide.