The People of Gibraltar

711-1492 - Medieval Gibraltar – Part 17 – The Line Wall and the Shrine

THE LINE WALL

As mentioned at length in previous chapters, the Marinids under Abu-l-hasan carried out all sorts of improvements to the defences of the Rock. But so far, I have been unable to substantiate the statement that he enlarged the Barcina. According to somebody who visited the Rock soon after:

Ibn-al-Juzayy

He built the atarazana there too (for there was no arsenal in the place before)

. . . although that bit in brackets is really open to question.

Crónica del Rey Don Fernando IV

É otrosi mandó labrar una atarazana desde la villa fasta la mar, porque esloviesen las galeas en salvo é tornóse el rey D. Fernando para su hueste de Algesira que tenía cercada.

It is hard to say how much of this was ever put into practice, but if it was indeed big enough to stretch from the west wall of Villa Vieja to the sea, it must have been quite an impressive building. Although of course it is hard to say how much of this was ever put into practice

Casemates Square as it was while Thomas James was stationed there - the atarazana had been damaged after the 1727 Gunner’s War – and had long since been demolished (1759 - Plan ordered by Lord Tyrawley)

Hasan’s involvement in the building of the Line Wall has been much quoted:

Al Makkarí - Vol 2 - Translated by Pascual de Gayangos - P355
The sultan Abu-l-hasan . . . applied himself further to strengthen Gibraltar, by causing a thick wall to be built at the foot of the rock, surrounding it on all sides, as the halo surrounds the crescent moon; so that the enemy could discover no prospect of success in attacking it, nor did there appear any way through which he could force an entrance.

I have quoted Al Makkarí but he also took this from Ibn-al-Juzayy. As regards Alcantara’s quote, Thomas James, also offered the reader a nice illustration concerning the makeup of the Line Wall as shown below.

G - Old Moorish rampart, M - Old Moorish Line Wall, H – New rampart added, L – New Line Wall (1771 – Colonel Thomas James)

The following included in a recent article is quite definite in its conclusions as to who were the people responsible for the original Islamic line wall.

Kevin Lane et al – Myths Moors and Holy Wars – 2014 p152In the mid-14th century the Marinids (that would be either Abu-l-hassan or Abu Inan Faris) constructed a seawall encircling the town from its northern defences, southwards to Rosia Bay . . . This seawall was clearly needed: after the fall of Algeciras to Castile in 1344, Gibraltar was the last peninsular port open to the Marinids. Late Nasrid occupation of the town (1374–1462) would have seen a continued strengthening of these defences, especially in view of the abundance of building material available after the razing of Algeciras.

In other words, although a convincing argument it is in essence pure speculation in the absence of any archaeological evidence.

THE ESPLANADE

Known as la Barcina by the Spaniards before the Anglo-Dutch takeover, it was not particularly original of the British to subsequently name it the Esplanade. I suppose they were trying to describe it as a largish open space. Unfortunately, they also chose the very same name for two other open spaces in town and just outside of it – the main town square which was subsequently known as The Parade, and the large plot of land just outside the town wall that would soon to be known as Grand Parade.

There is still a very strong and long-lasting tradition that explains why this esplanade was once called la Barcina. It is associated with events that occurred in 1436 and which I will deal with in the appropriate chapter. Meanwhile I would suggest that the correct interpretation of where the name came from can be found here. The words in brackets are mine.

Darren Fa and Clive Finlayson – Fortifications – Footnote P 12

Barcina was the Spanish name for the Islamic port area and the name may derive from “Dar al Sinaha” an Islamic reference to the galley house. (La atarazana)

THE SHRINE – CHAPEL OF OUR LADY OF EUROPA

Like most others I tend to agree with Alcantara that the chapel was originally a medieval mosque. Where we part company is with his suggestion that it may have been built by Tarik. I simply can’t imagine that the construction of a place of worship would have been feasible at the time. Tarik had far more pressing problems to deal with in 711 AD.

There are plenty of other references out there but most historians hedge their bets as regards dates and simply state that the Chapel “was once a Moorish mosque” leaving it up to the reader to guess when. The question is was it built before 1309 or between 1333 and 1462. Here are fa ew descriptive if ambiguous quotes in chronological order.

Ibn Sahib al-Sala – 12th century - writing about work ordered by Abd al-Mu’min - 1160

Entre las construcciones levantadas entonces, y que fueron las primeras de los almohades en al-Andalus, cítanse la mezquita mayor, un palacio para alojamiento del soberano etc etc . . .

The problem is whether he actually managed to finish building the mosque and if so where. If it was built then the most likely location would have been the Quasbah.

Al Makkarí – 1620 - writing about work ordered by Abu-l-hasan in 1160
No sooner had Abiu-l-hasan reduced Gibraltar under his sway than he began to give his attention to repairing its buildings and increasing its fortiﬁcations, spending immense sums of money in building houses and magazines, as well as a jami’ or principal mosque . . .

That principal Jamí, however was not built in the south but in the middle of the la Turba area of town. During the mid-15th century when Gibraltar was no longer Islamic, the mosque was converted into a parish church which would later become the Catholic Cathedral of St Mary the Crowned.

St Mary the Crowned (17th century)

Alonso Hernández del Portillo - Early 17th century

Nuestra Señora de Europa que esta en este sitio ultimo de toda la Europa . . . ermita a lo que parece es obra morisca; muéstrenlo unas bóvedas moriscas que tiene. Ahora está muy ampliada y engrandecida la iglesia casi al doble de lo que conocimos la mayor parte de los vecinos de esta Ciudad. Tiene dentro de la iglesia una buena torre que si fue morisca donde los Alfaquíes se subían a hacer las ceremonias Mahometanas, ahora no lo parece; antes esta renovada a lo moderno . . .

Unfortunately, there seems to be no agreement as to when it was built nor when it became a Christian Chapel. For example, a statement in a Newsletter of the Friends of Gibraltar Heritage Society dated 2015 suggests the following:

Miguel Raphael Brufal de Melgarejo y Yule - aka Marques de Lendinez - 2015
On the 20th August 1462, the Spanish forces commanded by Don Rodrigo Ponce de Leon, recaptured the Rock of Gibraltar from the Moors. At the southern-most end of the Rock a mosque was found that had been built around 1309. This was converted into a Christian Shrine in honour of Our Lady, Patroness of Europe.

Unfortunately, there seems to be no agreement as to when it was built nor when it became a Christian Chapel - for example, a statement in a Newsletter of the Friends of Gibraltar Heritage Society dated 2015 written by a well-known Gibraltarian - Don Miguel Raphael Brufal de Melgarejo y Yule - aka the Marques of Lendinez:

On the 20th August 1462, the Spanish forces commanded by Don Rodrigo Ponce de Leon, recaptured the Rock of Gibraltar from the Moors. At the southern-most end of the Rock a mosque was found that had been built around 1309. This was converted into a Christian Shrine in honour of Our Lady, Patroness of Europe.

One would imagine that the Don Miguel knew what he was on about – but the proposition that the place was originally built “around 1309” – or presumably before Ferdinand IV in the name of Christianity – and his own personal glory - captured Gibraltar in 1309, does not ring true. It fails to explain how these 15th century “Spanish forces” were given to understand that the mosque had been built more than a century and a half before their arrival. Worse, he gives no references. But to move on.

On May 5th 2009 the Catholic Diocese of Gibraltar – who must surely know quite a bit about the history of its very own churches and Chapels on the Rock - celebrated “the 700th anniversary of the institution of the devotion to Our Lady of Europe in A.D. 1309.”

Unknown Author – Catholic Diocese
This year Gibraltar celebrates the 700th anniversary of the institution of the devotion to
Our Lady of Europe in A.D. 1309. The celebration takes place on May 5th 2009 in the Diocese of Gibraltar. During the ‘Reconquista’, King Ferdinand IV, King of Castille, captured the Rock of Gibraltar, gave thanks to the Almighty for the conquest and dedicated the whole Continent of Europe to the Mother of Christ under the title of ‘Our Lady of Europe’.

The 1309 date of course does not refer to the date in which the mosque was built but to that in which it was converted into a Christian Chapel. Taking these statements at face value – again there are no references given - then the most likely dates for the construction of the mosque prior to 1309 would have been at any time during which the town of Gibraltar itself was being founded. In other words, from perhaps 1160 -1161 when the Almohad overlord Abd al-Mu’min was creating his Madinat al Fath right up to 1275-1292 under the Marinids and especially Abu Yusuf Yakub.

The fact that the Vatican itself agreed to the celebration of a Jubilee year dating to 1309 - even to the extent of issuing a joint stamp with Gibraltar commemorating the event – makes it hard to believe that they got the date wrong. Surely the Vatican library must have original manuscripts documenting events that confirm the date. But these are not readily available to people like myself and to repeat – I have never been able to find any primary – or any other sources - as evidence.

Joint Vatican/Gibraltar stamp commemorating the 700 Year Jubilee of the Shrine of Our Lady of Europa

In other words, Vatican or no Vatican there is hardly any consensus as to when exactly the building became a Christian Shrine. The present official site of the Gibraltar Tourist Board urges visitors to visit various places of heritage interest on the Rock including the Shrine:

Unknown Author – Gibraltar Tourist Board

The capture of Gibraltar by the Spaniards from the Moors dates from 1462. Then subsequent to his conquest the Christians won the battle against Islam's last stronghold in Europe in the Kingdom of Granada, the Duke of Medina Sidonia the champion of the Crusade; returned to Gibraltar. In thanksgiving the people of Gibraltar converted the mosque at Europa Point into a Christian Shrine in honour of the Mother of Christ, venerating her as Our Lady of Europe and placing the whole of Europe under her protection.

Apart from its somewhat original grammar, the passage contradicts the fellow from the Catholic Diocese. They would have had to wait at least another one and a half centuries to celebrate its 700th anniversary as a Christian Chapel. It also – although this is just an aside – contradicts Don Miguel’s Heritage article as it gives the Duke of Medina Sidonia as responsible for the recapture of Gibraltar instead of Don Rodrigo Ponce de Leon – an understandable contradiction as nobody seems to be quite clear as to which of the two was actually responsible.

A Spanish speaker at the Instituto de Ingeniería in Madrid read a paper on the history of the Chapel which included the following:

Unknown speaker – 2001
En 1372 Muhammad V de Granada, ocupa Gibraltar, último "marini" en el reino de Granada, y manda construir una mezquita en la llamada Punta de Europa en la parte más meridional. En 1.462 Fernando IV de Aragón toma la ciudad de Gibraltar. Más tarde, en 1.492, tendría lugar finalmente la rendición de Granada a los Reyes Católicos. La mezquita entonces se transforma en un Santuario cuya luz ayuda a orientarse a los navegantes . . .

Chapel of Our Lady of Europa (Left, 1627 - Luis Bravo de Acuña, Middle Rojas – Middle, 1606 Cristóbal Rojas – Right, 1970s – George Palao)

A new and very definite date – but again there are no references whatsoever. That Muhammed V was the Nasrid ruler Granada there is no doubt. However, the entire history of the Nasrids from 1362 – when Mohammed V overthrew Muhammed IV and when one Muhammed replaced or succeeded another one with frightening regularity right up to Mohammed XI – is an amateur historian’s nightmare.

However, I would say that the date given is open to debate. As far as I can make out in 1372 Gibraltar was controlled not by Granada but by Fez and was in effect a Marinid town. It was not until 1374 that control over Gibraltar passed on to the Nasrid dynasty. Elsewhere local historian writing in 1981 was quite sure of the Chapel’s Moorish origins:

George Palao
Thus, from the very earliest time there can be little doubt that a Muslim building or a mosque existed on the site of the Shrine of our Lady at Europa.

The following is Palao’s point of reference

E.R. Kenyon - 1911:
Opposite to the Artillery Guard Room on Europa Flats there stands a strange-looking little building which is one of the oldest on the Rock and one which in its history epitomizes the principal vicissitudes of Gibraltar. It is a fragment of an old Moorish building . . .

. . . and Kenyon takes it from Colonel Thomas James’s work dated 1771:

Colonel Thomas James – History of the Herculean Straits - 1771
At some small distance, and nearly in the centre of Europa plain, at right angles to the captain's guard-house, was the Spanish Chapel, called our lady of Europa; it is the ruins of a Moorish structure, and there are two rooms still remaining, which are coved in the Moorish style . . .

But again, no clues as to whether the place was built before 1309 or before 1462.

There are plenty of other references out there but most professional historians hedge their bets as regards dates and simply state that the Chapel “was once a Moorish mosque” leaving it up to the reader to guess when. Ironically not everybody actually agrees that the place was primarily a mosque.

Francisco María Montero – Historia de Gibraltar y su Campo - 1860
Pasemos a los santuarios. El más antiguo y venerado de todos era el de la Virgen de Europa, situado en la parte occidental de la punta de este nombre. El edificio era morisco y tenía una buena torre, que sin duda había servido de fortaleza a los moros.

Montero was not the only one who thought that the mosque might also have served as a fortress ( 1712 – G. Van Keulen )