Rock of Gibraltar ( born Rock of Gibraltar ) - a monolithic limestone rock 426 meters high, located in the southern part of the Iberian Peninsula , in the Strait of Gibraltar . The rock is located in Gibraltar , British Overseas Territory [1] . In antiquity it was known as one of the Hercules pillars [2] , as evidenced by the monument in the southern part of the rock [3] .
| Rock of Gibraltar | |
|---|---|
| English Rock of Gibraltar | |
 View from the north to the rock and the strait | |
| Highest point | |
| Absolute height | 426 m |
| Location | |
| A country |
|
| Mountain system | Cordillera Betica |
The rock is also called Mount Tariq , Djebel al-Tarik ( Djebel al-Tarik ) in honor of the Arab commander Tariq ibn Ziyad , on whose behalf the name of Gibraltar came from. The upper part of the mountain is allocated to the reserve, in which about 250 Barbary macaques live - the only species of wild primates in Europe . Monkeys and a labyrinth of tunnels attract a large number of tourists every year.
Content
Geography and geology
The Rock of Gibraltar was formed in the Jurassic period , about 200 million years ago, as a result of the collision of African and Eurasian tectonic plates. At the same time, the Mediterranean Sea became a lake and over time it has practically dried up ( Messinian crisis ). The waters of the Atlantic Ocean subsequently pierced the Strait of Gibraltar and flooded the Mediterranean. The Rock of Gibraltar is part of the Cordillera-Betica mountain range, located in the southeast of Iberia .
At present, the rock forms a peninsula that extends into the strait about 5 km from the southern coast of Spain . From the north, the rock soars sharply from sea level to a height of 411.5 m, where the Rock Gan battery is located. The eastern part of the rock ends with cliffs to the sandy slopes that formed during the glaciation period. In 1903, a water collection system was built on this part of the cliff. This was done to supply the poor natural sources of Gibraltar (now the collection of rainwater is replaced by desalination in reverse osmosis plants ) [4] . On the flatter western slope of the mountain there is a reserve and the city itself.
The calcites that make up limestone are slowly eroded by water, and caves form in it over time. Therefore, there are more than 100 caves in the Gibraltar Rock, the largest of which is St. Michael's Cave , located on the western slope of the mountain and is often visited by tourists.
Gorham Cave , which is located at sea level in the steeper eastern part of the cliff, is remarkable for the fact that archaeologists found in it evidence of the presence of Neanderthals about 30 thousand years ago [5] .
History and Fortifications
Moorish Castle
The Moorish castle is a legacy of the occupation of the Iberian Peninsula by the Moors , which lasted 710 years. In 711, having overcome the strait and having reached strategic height, the Berbers , led by Tariq ibn Ziyad, built a fortress on the northern part of the rock, naming it in honor of the leader βJabal-at-Tariqβ. Further strengthening was used to further advance deep into Europe.
In 1309, after several unsuccessful attempts by the Normans , Castilians and Spaniards to conquer the fortress, Alonso Perez de GuzmΓ‘n captured it and turned it into a prison. However, the Moors soon recaptured it, and only in 1462 the peninsula was recaptured by the Spaniards again, this time for 250 years. The fortress was well fortified, and Algerian pirates could not seize such an important height.
Galleries
A unique feature of the cliff is the system of underground tunnels, the length of which exceeds 50 km. In 1704, during the War of the Spanish Succession, British troops under the command of Admiral George Rook captured Gibraltar, after which the Treaty of Utrecht was signed in 1713 , recognizing the peninsula as the possession of the English crown. Subsequently, the Spaniards tried many times to regain the peninsula, storming the fortress. In the fourteenth siege, called the Great Siege of Gibraltar and lasting from 1779 to 1783, the first tunnel was excavated in the rock. Garrison commander George August Eliott decided to fire on Spanish batteries, standing on a plain in front of the northern part of the cliff. To communicate with the Willis battery with a recess on the northern facade of the cliff (where it was planned to install the guns), a tunnel was dug, which at first had no embrasures , but the ventilation holes were perfect for firing.
Galleries, which in our time show tourists, are a further development of this idea. They were completed in 1797 , a breakthrough of 304 meters of tunnels and halls. Embrasures offer a unique view of the Gulf of Gibraltar , the Isthmus and the territory of Spain.
World War II
With the outbreak of World War II in 1939, the civilian population was evacuated, and Gibraltar was fortified to defend itself from attack. By 1942, more than 30 thousand British soldiers, sailors and pilots were stationed on the rock. The tunnel system was expanded and the cliff turned into a key defense point for maritime navigation in the Mediterranean.
In February 1997, the British declassified a plan called Operation Tracer , according to which a special group of 6 troops had been deployed in advance deep in the cliff in case Nazi captured Gibraltar. Her task was to collect information about the movements of the enemy and transmit it by radio . The group spent two and a half years in isolation, and only when it became clear that the attack was unlikely to take place, they were allowed to return to normal life [6] [7] .
Upper Rock Nature Reserve
In 1993, about 40% of the territory of Gibraltar was allocated to the reserve [8] . Among its most important inhabitants are the Barbary macaque (see Colony of Magoths in Gibraltar ), the Berber partridge , thyme and Iberian [9] . In addition, many migratory birds visit the Rock of Gibraltar [10] .
Notes
- β Gibraltar // Military Encyclopedia : [18 vol.] / Ed. V.F. Novitsky [et al.]. - SPb. ; [ M. ]: Type. t-va I. D. Sytin , 1911-1915.
- β The name "Hercules Pillars" is still found in Plato .
- β The second pillar of Hercules is either Mount Acho in Ceuta or Mount Jebel Musa , located in Morocco
- β Gibraltar Water Supply History (link not available) . AquaGib Ltd .. Date accessed August 8, 2015. Archived July 31, 2013.
- β Physical Geology 2004 - The Rock of Gibraltar and Surroundings . Earlham College. Date of treatment August 8, 2015.
- β Secret plan to bury soldiers alive inside Rock of Gibraltar . Belfast Telegraph (02/05/2007). Date of treatment August 8, 2015.
- β John Jones. Radio Story - Operation Tracer . Date of treatment August 8, 2015.
- β A Guide to The Upper Rock Nature Reserve / Charles Perez & Keith Bensusan. - The Gibraltar Ornithological & Natural History Society, 2005.
- β Tourist information . Gibnet.com Date of treatment August 8, 2015.
- β Birdwatching (inaccessible link) . Official Government of Gibraltar London Website . Archived on February 28, 2009.
Links
- N.A. Ionina . One hundred great castles. Gibraltar rock. - M .: Veche , 2003. - ISBN 5-94538-209-4