The history of Gibraltar , a small peninsula on the southern Iberian coast near the entrance of the Mediterranean Sea , spans over 2, years. The peninsula has evolved from a place of reverence in ancient times into "one of the most densely fortified and fought-over places in Europe", [ 1 ] as one historian has put it. Gibraltar 's location has given it an outsized significance in the history of Europe and its fortified town, established in the Middle Ages , has hosted garrisons that sustained numerous sieges and battles over the centuries.
Gibraltar was first inhabited over 50, years ago by Neanderthals and archaeological evidence suggests that Gibraltar may have been one of their last places of habitation before evidence of Neanderthal disappears around 25, years later.
Gibraltar's recorded history began around BC with the Phoenicians amongst the first to recognise and worship the genius loci of the place, followed by various evidence from the ancient Greeks, Egyptians, Carthaginians and Romans. There is also evidence of shrines built on the Rock of Gibraltar to Hercules. The Romans named the jutting protrusion of limestone Mons Calpe , [ 2 ] the "Hollow Mountain", they regarded it as one of the twin Pillars of Hercules. It was permanently settled for the first time by the Moors and was renamed Jebel Tariq β the Mount of Tariq, later corrupted into Gibraltar.
The Christian Crown of Castile annexed it in , lost it again to the Moors in and finally regained it in In King Alfonso XI and much of his Castilian Army suddenly died by the Black Death while besieging the castle which effectively delayed the Reconquista for years. Gibraltar became part of the unified Kingdom of Spain and remained under Spanish rule until At the war's end, Spain ceded the territory to Britain under the terms of the Treaty of Utrecht of Spain has tried to regain control of Gibraltar, which Britain had declared a Crown colony , through military, diplomatic and economic pressure.
Gibraltar was besieged and heavily bombarded during three wars between Britain and Spain but the attacks were repulsed on each occasion. By the end of the last siege, in the late 18th century, Gibraltar had faced fourteen sieges in years.
