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The Rock of Gibraltar was first occupied by Muslim forces in 711 AD, when Berber troops from North Africa, led by Tariq ibn Ziyad, landed at its foot. [4] This event is known as the beginning of the Islamic conquest of the Iberian Peninsula. [5] The name "Gibraltar" is derived from the Arabic name "Jebel Tariq," meaning "Tariq's Mountain."
The culture of Gibraltar reflects Gibraltarians' diverse origins. While there are Spanish and British influences, a result of the territory's status as a British overseas territory and its proximity to Spain , the ethnic origins of most Gibraltarians are a mix of Andalusian Spaniards , Genoese , Maltese , Portuguese and British .
Gibraltar's Islamic history began with the arrival of Tariq ibn-Ziyad on 27 April 711 at the start of the Umayyad conquest of Hispania.Traditionally, Tariq was said to have landed on the shores of the Rock of Gibraltar, which was henceforth named after him (Jabal Ṭāriq (جبل طارق), English: "Mountain of Tariq" – a name which was later corrupted into "Gibraltar" by the Spanish). [1]
The Berbers of North Africa, called Moors by the Christians, thereby became Muslims. The Strait of Gibraltar became the frontier between Muslim North Africa and Christian Hispania and thus gained a new strategic significance. Hispania descended into civil war in the 8th century as rival Visigothic factions fought for control of the throne.
The Ibrahim-al-Ibrahim Mosque (Arabic: مسجد ابراهيم الابراهيم), also known as the King Fahd bin Abdulaziz al-Saud Mosque or the Mosque of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, is an Islamic mosque located at Europa Point in the British overseas territory of Gibraltar, a peninsula connected to southern Spain.
Some Gibraltarians are an ethnic and cultural mixture of the many immigrants who came to the Rock of Gibraltar over 300 years. Following its capture by an Anglo-Dutch force in 1704, all but 70 [3] of the existing inhabitants of Gibraltar elected to leave [4] with many settling nearby.
The King converted the ancient mosque into a Christian Shrine. The Muslims again captured Gibraltar 24 years later in 1333. In 1462 King Henry IV recaptured Gibraltar and restored the devotion to Our Lady of Europe initiated by his grandfather, Ferdinand, once again transforming the ancient mosque into a Christian Shrine. [5]
In that year, the last Muslim government north of the Strait was overthrown by a Spanish force. Since that time, the Strait has come to foster the development of two very distinct and varied cultures on either side of it after sharing much the same culture for over 500 years from the 8th century to the early 13th century. [citation needed]