• Contact Us
  • Home

Andalucia Travel Guide

Love to travel in Spain

  • Andalucia Blog
  • Traveler Info
    • Andalucia Summary
    • Submit your content
    • Map of Andalucia
    • Don’t Miss
    • When To Go
    • Holidays in Spain
    • Living In Spain
    • Costa del Sol
    • Learning Spanish
    • Travel Insurance
  • Transport
    • Getting around Andalucia
    • Flights to Andalucia
  • Accomodation
    • Andalucia Hotels
    • Spanish Holiday Villas
    • Malaga Airport Hotels
  • Activities
    • Fiestas and Ferias
    • Camping Spain
    • Andalucia For Kids
    • Castles In Andalucia
    • Markets in Andalucia
    • Walking in Andalucia
  • Food and Drink
    • Spanish Food
    • Spanish Food Recipes
    • Spanish Wine Information
    • Mediterranean Diet
  • Provinces
    • Malaga
    • Granada
    • Cordoba
    • Cadiz
    • Sevilla
    • Almeria
    • Huelva
    • Jaen
  • Gibraltar
  • Lifestyle
    • Healthy Living in Andalucia!
    • The Benefits Of Swimming
    • Protect Your Baby from the Sun!
    • Enjoy the Sun Sensibly!
    • Sun……Factor Not Fiction!
    • Treatment of Jellyfish Stings!
    • Dehydration Prevention!
    • Water… Look and Feel Great!
    • Summer Eggs!
    • Tummy Trouble!
You are here: Home / Gibraltar / History of Gibraltar

History of Gibraltar

December 4, 2013 By Andalucia Travel Guide

History of GibraltarMany people have asked for a quick rundown on the history of Gibraltar, so here is a little bit to wet your appetite.

Gibraltar is located on the southernmost tip of the Iberian Peninsula. Historically a strategic vantage point and as a result was fought over for hundreds of years. The ‘Rock of Gibraltar’ overlooks the Mediterranean.

It is one of the remaining overseas UK territories and has a land border with Spain. It is a very popular tourist destination.

Gibraltar has attracted visitors for centuries. Its sheer physical presence is unique. It is a British Overseas Territory located at the southernmost tip of the Iberian Peninsula, overlooking the Straights and linked to the Spanish mainland via a narrow isthmus.

Despite its imposing appearance, the territory only covers 2.50 square miles and the head of state is the British Queen Elizabeth II. There is evidence of human habitation on the famous Rock of Gibraltar as early as Neanderthal times and Phoenicians settled in the area circa 950 BC. This is the only place in Europe where monkeys roam free in a semi-wild state, reflecting the rock’s rich natural history, which flourishes in a sub-tropical climate.

Throughout the history of Gibraltar there have been numerous land grab attempts.

Amongst its past inhabitants were the Carthaginians and Romans, and after the collapse of the Roman Empire. It came under the control of the Vandals and formed part of the Visigothic Kingdom of Hispania until its collapse due to the Moslem conquest of 711 AD when the Umayyad general Tarik Ibn Ziyad led a Berber army across the Strait from Ceuta in northern Morocco.

Gib then became part of the Kingdom of Granada until 1309 when it was re-conquered by the Spanish Duke of Medina Sidonia in 1462. In 1501 it was granted its coat of arms by a Royal Warrant passed in Toledo by Queen Isabel of Castilla.

In 1704 a joint British and Dutch force captured Gibraltar and British sovereignty was subsequently recognised in the 1713 Treaty of Utrecht, which ended the War of the Spanish Succession. We subsequently became an important naval base for the British Royal Navy and played an essential part in the Battle of Trafalgar.

Today Gibraltar is steeped in history; an intertwining of civilisations and culture which dates back many thousands of years. It is a living history reflected not just in the Gibraltarians themselves but also in the many legacies that remain to this day.

This includes a number of pre-historic caves and a Moorish castle and baths that date back to the 11th Century. The architecture is composed of Georgian and Victorian buildings interspersed amongst Portuguese, Genoese and Moorish buildings.

However, it is the caves that were man’s first home on this Rock. In 1848 an ancient skull was discovered at Forbes Quarry, at the foot of the steep northern face. Then just eight years later, an identical skull was discovered, this time in the Neander Valley near Dusseldorf.

“Neanderthal man” should really have been “Gibraltar Woman”.

Return from The History of Gibraltar to Gibraltar Information

Related stories:

Default ThumbnailGibraltar Apes – World Famous Default ThumbnailSt Michael’s Cave – Gibraltar tourist attraction Default ThumbnailGibraltar is located on the southernmost tip of the Iberian Peninsula… Great Siege Tunnels GibraltarThe Great Siege Tunnels Gibraltar

Filed Under: Gibraltar Tagged With: attractions, history

[mc4wp-form]

Author: Andalucia Travel Guide

This article was posted by the Andalucia Travel Guide Team :) Feel free to share your comments and views.

Connect :

Search Our Site

Recent Posts

Where is the best place to go for Gibraltar bars and restaurants?

Where is the best place to go for Gibraltar bars and restaurants? by … [Read More...]

Tags

airports almeria city attractions beaches benalmadena castles caves costa del sol culture entertainment estepona fiestas fishing flamenco for kids fuengirola gibraltar guides healthy living history hotels huelva jerez de la frontera learn spanish malaga malaga city maps marbella mezquita nerja nightlife restaurants rock of gibraltar ronda sailing shopping spanish food summer tarifa torremolinos ubeda walking weather weddings white villages

Categories

Archives

Copyright © 2022 Andalucia Travel Guide
Privacy Policy - Sitemap