Gibraltar
Our sunrise arrival into the Straits of Gibraltar gave us our first view of the Rock of Gibraltar, the tiny promontory of the European continent that faces Africa. The Straits mark the meeting of the Atlantic and Mediterranean and over 170,000 ships pass through them each year.
Gibraltar is a small colony that holds an important history. Its name derives from ‘Jabal-al-Tarik’, the Moorish leader who arrived in 711 and burnt his ships as a sign of his intention to stay. A turbulent history involving the Spanish and French followed until Great Britain took power in 1704. The Rock celebrates its 300th anniversary of British control this year and a recent referendum revealed over 99% of the population wish this to remain, rather than transfer sovereignty to neighboring Spain.
The Rock’s historical significance can be seen everywhere. The hundred-ton gun faces out across the Straits, capable of firing a shell over 14 miles. We visited the Great Siege Tunnel, built when the rock was besieged for several years in the late 18th Century. We also saw the impressive stalagmites and stalactites of St Michael’s Cave, a vast natural space within the Rock that served as protection during those turbulent times. The Moorish Castle, built in 1333, still bears the marks of cannonball fire but space is at such a premium on the Rock that today it is the prison house.
Those with a keen eye saw red kites and honey buzzards high above us, but no one could miss the fighter jets flying overhead, a reminder of the Rock’s strategic importance. Gibraltar is said to be one of the Pillars of Hercules, the other being Mount Acha across the Straits in Africa. These marked the end of the world for the Ancient Greeks, and Atlantis was thought to lie in the shadows of the Pillars.
Myths and legends continue with the Barbary Apes that live on the Rock. They are in fact tail-less monkeys whose natural home is a mountain range in Morocco and Algeria. They most likely arrived in Gibraltar as pets of the sailors. It is said that if the apes ever leave, then the British will also leave. Winston Churchill was so concerned about this during the Second World War that he required at least twenty-four apes to remain at all times. Orders were given that they should receive any medical treatment at the Royal Naval Hospital!
Our sunrise arrival into the Straits of Gibraltar gave us our first view of the Rock of Gibraltar, the tiny promontory of the European continent that faces Africa. The Straits mark the meeting of the Atlantic and Mediterranean and over 170,000 ships pass through them each year.
Gibraltar is a small colony that holds an important history. Its name derives from ‘Jabal-al-Tarik’, the Moorish leader who arrived in 711 and burnt his ships as a sign of his intention to stay. A turbulent history involving the Spanish and French followed until Great Britain took power in 1704. The Rock celebrates its 300th anniversary of British control this year and a recent referendum revealed over 99% of the population wish this to remain, rather than transfer sovereignty to neighboring Spain.
The Rock’s historical significance can be seen everywhere. The hundred-ton gun faces out across the Straits, capable of firing a shell over 14 miles. We visited the Great Siege Tunnel, built when the rock was besieged for several years in the late 18th Century. We also saw the impressive stalagmites and stalactites of St Michael’s Cave, a vast natural space within the Rock that served as protection during those turbulent times. The Moorish Castle, built in 1333, still bears the marks of cannonball fire but space is at such a premium on the Rock that today it is the prison house.
Those with a keen eye saw red kites and honey buzzards high above us, but no one could miss the fighter jets flying overhead, a reminder of the Rock’s strategic importance. Gibraltar is said to be one of the Pillars of Hercules, the other being Mount Acha across the Straits in Africa. These marked the end of the world for the Ancient Greeks, and Atlantis was thought to lie in the shadows of the Pillars.
Myths and legends continue with the Barbary Apes that live on the Rock. They are in fact tail-less monkeys whose natural home is a mountain range in Morocco and Algeria. They most likely arrived in Gibraltar as pets of the sailors. It is said that if the apes ever leave, then the British will also leave. Winston Churchill was so concerned about this during the Second World War that he required at least twenty-four apes to remain at all times. Orders were given that they should receive any medical treatment at the Royal Naval Hospital!
