Girna

[2] They bear similarities with a number of dry stone vernacular building types found in other Mediterranean countries, and they are primarily used for storage or as temporary shelters.

[3] Their typology bears some similarities with the Megalithic Temples of Malta, although there is no conclusive proof that the building traditions are directly linked,[4] and it has been suggested that the resemblance is superficial.

[4] In his 1536 publication Insulae Melitae Descriptio, Jean Quintin mentioned that the Maltese countryside contained many vernacular structures which he called "African huts", and this might have referred to the girna.

[5] Smaller giren were mostly used to store tools or hay, as temporary shelters for farmers or herders, or to house goats, sheep or other livestock.

[11] A few giren are still being built as of the early 21st century; for example, one was constructed at the Ta' Blankas olive grove in Xewkija in 2014 as part of a refurbishment project.

[8] The areas where giren are located usually contain rocky outcrops of hard coralline limestone, which was the main material used in the huts' construction.

This might explain why giren are less common in the southern part of Malta and on the island of Gozo, where globigerina limestone is abundant and where it was often used to construct ashlar masonry buildings.