The northern component of what enchanting geographic term is accepted as the Rock of Gibraltar but the southern component disputed and at various times claimed as Monte Hacho (in Ceuta) or Jebel Musa (in Morocco)?
"the great mountain, Hercules used his superhuman strength to smash through it. By doing so, he connected the Atlantic Ocean to the Mediterranean Sea and formed the Strait of Gibraltar. One part of the split mountain is Gibraltar and the other is either Monte Hacho in Ceuta or Jebel Musa in Morocco. These two mountains taken together have since then been known as the Pillars of Hercules, though other natural features have been associated with the name. Diodorus Siculus, however, held that instead of smashing through an isthmus to create the Straits of Gibraltar, Hercules ""narrowed"" an already existing strait"
"and is identified in the Plan for Protected Areas in Morocco as a Site of Biological and Ecological Interest (SIBE). Jebel Musa (Morocco) Jebel Musa (, """", in Berber ""Adrar n Moussa""; meaning ""Mount Moses"") is a mountain in the northernmost part of Morocco, on the African side of the Strait of Gibraltar. It is part of the Rif mountain chain. The mountain is generally identified as the southern Pillar of Hercules, Abila Mons. Jebel Musa, named, according to the 14th-century Berber Muslim geographer Ibn Battuta, in honour of Musa bin Nusayr, to whom the conqueror of Andalusia Tariq ibn"
"Morocco. By road, the mountain is about west of Ceuta and about east of Tangier. Jebel Musa is opposite the Rock of Gibraltar at the entrance to the Mediterranean Sea from the Atlantic Ocean. It is an important landmark in the region of Tanger-Tetouan-Al Hoceima on the north coast of Morocco. The coastlines around the mountain show evidence of having had varying sea levels through the ages. These highstands are at 120–130 metres; 80 to 90 metres; 40 to 60 metres and from 0 to 25 metres above the present sea level. In Ceuta, around the town of Benzú, the"
"blocked by the mountain that Perseus had created; to clear a way, he used his mace to split the mountain in half, one part becoming the Rock of Gibraltar and the other becoming a mountain in Morocco. According to the myth, this split in the mountain created a sea link between the Atlantic and the Mediterranean Sea. This link was the Strait of Gibraltar. Jebel Musa is high. To the north, across the Strait of Gibraltar, lie Spain and the British Overseas Territory of Gibraltar. To the east is Ceuta, a Spanish exclave, and to the west and south is"
"Jebel Musa (Morocco) Jebel Musa (, """", in Berber ""Adrar n Moussa""; meaning ""Mount Moses"") is a mountain in the northernmost part of Morocco, on the African side of the Strait of Gibraltar. It is part of the Rif mountain chain. The mountain is generally identified as the southern Pillar of Hercules, Abila Mons. Jebel Musa, named, according to the 14th-century Berber Muslim geographer Ibn Battuta, in honour of Musa bin Nusayr, to whom the conqueror of Andalusia Tariq ibn Ziyad owed fealty, was known to the ancient Greeks as ""Mount Abyla"" and to the Romans as ""Columna"". Together with"
"being Mons Abyla or Jebel Musa on the African side of the Strait. In ancient times, the two points marked the limit to the known world, a myth originally fostered by the Greeks and the Phoenicians. Gibraltar is surrounded by the Mediterranean Sea and has no contact with the Atlantic Ocean. The Rock of Gibraltar is a monolithic promontory. The Main Ridge has a sharp crest with peaks over 400 m above sea level, formed by Early Jurassic limestones and dolomites. It is a deeply eroded and highly faulted limb of an overturned fold. The sedimentary strata composing the Rock"
"most likely African Pillar of Hercules, Abyla); and the Moroccan port of Tanger-Med (to the right of Jebel Musa). Mirador del Estrecho The Mirador del Estrecho (; ) is a scenic overlook over the Strait of Gibraltar located within the municipal borders of Tarifa, Spain, from its urban centre. The overlook is above sea level and can be reached via the N-340 road. The scenic overlook provides outstanding views over the Strait of Gibraltar and the African coast just opposite. On clear days, it is possible to have an uninterrupted view of the Spanish city of Ceuta (with Monte Hacho),"
"Rock of Gibraltar The Rock of Gibraltar, also known as The Rock, is a monolithic limestone promontory located in the British overseas territory of Gibraltar, near the southwestern tip of Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. It is high. Most of the Rock's upper area is covered by a nature reserve, which is home to around 300 Barbary macaques. These macaques, as well as a labyrinthine network of tunnels, attract a large number of tourists each year. The Rock of Gibraltar was one of the two Pillars of Hercules and was known to the Romans as ""Mons Calpe"", the other pillar"
"Mirador del Estrecho The Mirador del Estrecho (; ) is a scenic overlook over the Strait of Gibraltar located within the municipal borders of Tarifa, Spain, from its urban centre. The overlook is above sea level and can be reached via the N-340 road. The scenic overlook provides outstanding views over the Strait of Gibraltar and the African coast just opposite. On clear days, it is possible to have an uninterrupted view of the Spanish city of Ceuta (with Monte Hacho), at the East end of the coast (to the left); Jebel Musa, the highest elevation on the coast (the"
"of Gibraltar, a long and narrow limestone peninsula that rises to a height of above sea level. The Rock is part of the Betic Cordillera, formed about 200 million years ago. From the crest of the rock there is a dramatic view of the area, including Spain across the Bay of Gibraltar and Jebel Musa of Morocco across the Strait of Gibraltar. It is an area of considerable natural beauty and one of the main tourist attractions in Gibraltar. The Upper Rock area of the nature reserve can be reached by road or by the Gibraltar Cable Car, next to"
"are Torres de Hercules which are twin towers that were inspired by the ""Pillars of Hercules"". These towers were the tallest in Andalusia until Cajasol Tower was completed in Seville in 2015. Pillars of Hercules The Pillars of Hercules (Latin: ""Columnae Herculis"", Greek: Ἡράκλειαι Στῆλαι, Arabic: أعمدة هرقل / ""Aʿmidat Hiraql"", Spanish: ""Columnas de Hércules"") was the phrase that was applied in Antiquity to the promontories that flank the entrance to the Strait of Gibraltar. The northern Pillar, Calpe Mons, is the Rock of Gibraltar. A corresponding North African peak not being predominant, the identity of the southern Pillar, Abila"
"Disputed status of the isthmus between Gibraltar and Spain The Gibraltar territory currently contains an long section of the isthmus that links the Rock with mainland Spain. Spain does not acknowledge British sovereignty over Gibraltar beyond the fortified perimeter of the town as at 1704. The United Kingdom claims the southern part of the isthmus on the basis of continuous possession over a long period. As well as the airport, there are two substantial housing estates, a sports stadium, a secondary school, a marina, and a beach on this land, which de facto is an integral part of the territory"
"from the Moroccan government. It was the first time a Spanish head of state had visited Ceuta in 80 years. Since 2010, Ceuta (and Melilla) have declared the Muslim holiday of Eid al-Adha, or Feast of the Sacrifice, an official public holiday. It is the first time a non-Christian religious festival has been officially celebrated in Spain since the Reconquista. Ceuta is dominated by Monte Anyera, a hill along its western frontier with Morocco. The mountain is guarded by a military fort. Monte Hacho on the Peninsula of Almina overlooking the port is one of the possible locations for the"
"is located on the Península de Almina and topped by a fort, the Fortaleza de Hacho, which was first built by the Byzantines, before being added to by the Arabs, Portuguese and Spanish. It is now occupied by the Spanish army. Monte Hacho also has a convent, Ermita de San Antonio, and Monumento del Llano Amarillo which is a monument to Generalisimo Francisco Franco and the start of the Spanish Civil War in North Africa in 1936. Monte Hacho Monte Hacho is a low mountain that overlooks the Spanish city of Ceuta, on the north coast of Africa. Monte Hacho"
"African Monsoon. Strait of Gibraltar The Strait of Gibraltar ( , ) is a narrow strait that connects the Atlantic Ocean to the Mediterranean Sea and separates Gibraltar and Peninsular Spain in Europe from Morocco and Ceuta (Spain) in Africa. The name comes from the Rock of Gibraltar, which in turn originates from the Arabic (meaning ""Mount Tariq"") named after Tariq ibn Ziyad. It is also known as the Straits of Gibraltar, the Gut of Gibraltar (although this is mostly archaic), the STROG (Strait Of Gibraltar) in naval use, and (), ""Gate of the West"". In the Middle Ages, Muslims"
"indication of the boundary of the 'neutral ground'. Maps show the evolution of the British occupation of the isthmus as well as the location of the two items that, according to the Gibraltarian government, were part of the forts ceded in the Treaty of Utrecht (""Torre del Diablo"", Devil's Tower, and ""Molino""). The Torre del Molino is marked with an ""F"". In practice Gibraltar begins at the frontier/fence and the 'neutral land' to the north has been absorbed into the town of La Linea, and to the South is an integral part of Gibraltar. Disputed status of the isthmus between"
"of the protectorate) and reduced the Spanish control of the Ifni territory to the perimeter of the city itself. In 1969, through negotiation, Morocco obtained Ifni as well. As of , Morocco still claims Ceuta and Melilla as integral parts of the country, and considers them to be under foreign occupation, comparing their status to that of Gibraltar. Spain considers both cities integral parts of the Spanish geography, since they were part of Spain for centuries before the Spanish colonial occupation of Morocco. The iron mines in the Rif were one of the sources of income. Their exploitation led to"
"was the highest mountain in the area. The earliest references to Jebel Musa as Mount Sinai or Mount Sinai being located in the present-day Sinai peninsula are inconclusive. There is evidence that prior to 100 CE, well before the Christian monastic period, Jewish sages equated Jebel Musa with Mount Sinai. Graham Davies of Cambridge University argues that early Jewish pilgrimages identified Jebel Musa as Mount Sinai and this identification was later adopted by the Christian pilgrims. R. K. Harrison states that ""Jebel Musa . . . seems to have enjoyed special sanctity long before Christian times, culminating in its identification"
"Rif Mountains are located in the north of the country. Both ranges are mainly inhabited by the Berber people. At , Morocco is the fifty-seventh largest country in the world. Algeria borders Morocco to the east and southeast, though the border between the two countries has been closed since 1994. Spanish territory in Northwest Africa neighbouring Morocco comprises five enclaves on the Mediterranean coast: Ceuta, Melilla, Peñón de Vélez de la Gomera, Peñón de Alhucemas, the Chafarinas islands, and the disputed islet Perejil. Off the Atlantic coast the Canary Islands belong to Spain, whereas Madeira to the north is Portuguese."
"a tendency among medieval historians of the Maghreb to attribute his deeds (the conquest of Tangiers and the Sous) to Uqba ibn Nafi. The Moroccan peak Jebel Musa is named for Musa bin Nusayr according to the 14th-century Berber Muslim geographer Ibn Battuta. Al-Bakri in his ""al-Maslik wa al-Mamalik"", mentions that Musa Ibn Nusayr was buried in Zaragoza. Less than 200 years after his death, Musa ibn Nusayr became the subject of fantastic legends. These tales were first recorded in the late 9th or early 10th century by ibn al-Faqih, who wrote that Musa was ordered by the caliph to"
"rocks of volcanic origin. The Baetic System as a geological feature belongs to a larger orogeny usually called the Gibraltar Arc, which represents the westernmost edge of the Alpine Orogeny. The geodynamic mechanisms responsible for its formation are so far relatively unknown. Geologically the Rif mountains in Morocco and the Serra de Tramuntana in the island of Majorca are extensions of the Baetic System. The Gibraltar Arc geological region follows the Moroccan coast from Oujda in the east to Tanger in the west, then crosses the Strait of Gibraltar and goes east again from Cádiz to Valencia and the Balearic"
"Strait of Gibraltar The Strait of Gibraltar ( , ) is a narrow strait that connects the Atlantic Ocean to the Mediterranean Sea and separates Gibraltar and Peninsular Spain in Europe from Morocco and Ceuta (Spain) in Africa. The name comes from the Rock of Gibraltar, which in turn originates from the Arabic (meaning ""Mount Tariq"") named after Tariq ibn Ziyad. It is also known as the Straits of Gibraltar, the Gut of Gibraltar (although this is mostly archaic), the STROG (Strait Of Gibraltar) in naval use, and (), ""Gate of the West"". In the Middle Ages, Muslims called it"
"Central and the Sierra Morena by the basin of the Guadalquivir. The Iberian System rises north of the eastern part of the Prebaetic System, the northernmost prolongation of the Baetic System. Generally the mountain ranges that are part of this system are aligned in a southwest-northeast direction. The most well-known range of the Baetic System is the Sierra Nevada, where the Mulhacén, the highest mountain in continental Spain and in the Iberian Peninsula is found. The Rock of Gibraltar is also considered to be part of the Baetic System, but not the Cabo de Gata area further east which includes"
"Rock, which is too steep to be climbed on its east and north sides. The only entrance to Gibraltar is via the west side of the Rock. A Moorish town occupied the strip of land along the west of the peninsula between the sea and the Rock. The northern approaches to the town were defended by a castle on the slopes of the rock, from which walls built in the Middle Ages ran down to the shore of the Bay of Gibraltar. A tower was built at the end of the wall by the Spanish after Ferdinand IV of Castile"
"from Ceuta and from mainland Spain. Its sovereignty is disputed between Spain and Morocco. It was the subject of an armed incident between the two countries in 2002. The incident ended when both countries agreed to return to the status quo ante which existed prior to the Moroccan occupation of the island. The islet is now deserted and without any sign of sovereignty. Besides the Perejil Island, the Spanish-held territories claimed by other countries are two: Morocco claims the Spanish cities of Ceuta and Melilla and the ""plazas de soberanía"" islets off the northern coast of Africa; and Portugal and"
"Mole at Gibraltar Harbour ""(pictured)"", in the British Overseas Territory of Gibraltar, at the southern end of the Iberian Peninsula, is one of a trio of breakwaters ""(shown on map)"" that provides protection to the harbour, in addition to that which results from the presence of the Rock of Gibraltar on its east side. The North Mole is positioned at the northern and western aspects of the northern section of the harbour, which is located just north of the east entrance to the Strait of Gibraltar. The L-shaped breakwater includes a Western Arm which runs south toward the Detached Mole,"
"to the tip of the ""Península de Almina"" of Ceuta in Africa (). ""On the East."" A line joining from ""Cabo de Gata"" in Andalusia in Europe to ""Cap Fegalo"" in Algeria in Africa (). Several small islands dot the sea, including the eponymous Isla de Alborán. Most, even including those close to the African shore, belong to Spain. The Alboran domain, the seafloor beneath the Alboran Sea (known as the internal zones) together with the surrounding mountains (known as the external zones; the Gibraltar Arc and Atlas Mountains), is mostly made of continental crust and marks the western-most terminus"
"Fortifications of Gibraltar The fortifications of Gibraltar have made the Rock of Gibraltar and its environs ""probably the most fought over and most densely fortified place in Europe, and probably, therefore, in the world"", as Field Marshal Sir John Chapple has put it. The Gibraltar peninsula, located at the far southern end of Iberia, has great strategic importance as a result of its position by the Strait of Gibraltar where the Mediterranean Sea meets the Atlantic Ocean. It has repeatedly been contested between European and North African powers and has endured fourteen sieges since it was first settled in the"
"isthmus, only above sea level, most of which is now occupied by the Spanish town of La Línea de la Concepción. The peninsula is dominated by the limestone massif of the Rock of Gibraltar, which presents a sheer cliff over high at its north end, facing the isthmus. The Rock extends southwards for with several peaks before it descends to two southern plateaus at heights of between and above sea level. The southern tip of Gibraltar is surrounded by steep cliffs. The Rock itself is asymmetric, with a moderate slope on the west side and a very steep (and in"
"uncertain. The Canary Islands and Spanish cities in the African mainland are considered an equal part of Spain and the European Union but have a different tax system. Morocco still claims Ceuta, Melilla, and "" even though they are internationally recognized as administrative divisions of Spain. Isla Perejil was occupied on 11 July 2002 by Moroccan Gendarmerie and troops, who were evicted by Spanish naval forces in a bloodless operation. Although the Spanish Empire declined from its apogee in the middle seventeenth century, it remained a wonder for other Europeans for its sheer geographical span. Writing in 1738, English poet"
"any proposal of shared sovereignty. UN resolutions call on the United Kingdom and Spain, both EU members, to reach an agreement over the status of Gibraltar. The Spanish claim makes a distinction between the isthmus that connects the Rock to the Spanish mainland on the one hand, and the Rock and city of Gibraltar on the other. While the Rock and city were ceded by the Treaty of Utrecht, Spain asserts that the ""occupation of the isthmus is illegal and against the principles of International Law"". The United Kingdom relies on ""de facto"" arguments of possession by prescription in relation"
"coast of Morocco - the coastal enclaves of Ceuta and Melilla, which Morocco contests, as well as the islands of Peñon de Alhucemas, Peñon de Vélez de la Gomera, and Islas Chafarinas. Spain maintains sovereignty over Ceuta, Melilla, Peñon de Velez de la Gomera, Alhucemas and the Chafarinas Islands (captured following the Christian reconquest of Spain) based upon historical grounds, security reasons and on the basis of the UN principle of territorial integrity. Spain also maintains that the majority of residents are Spanish. Morocco claims these territories on the basis of the UN principles of decolonisation, territorial integrity and that"
"northernmost of Morocco face each other is, classically speaking, referred to as the Pillars of Hercules/Heracles, owing to the story that he set up two massive spires of stone to stabilise the area and ensure the safety of ships sailing between the two landmasses. In various languages, variants of Hercules' name are used as a male given name, such as Hercule in French, Hércules in Spanish, Iraklis () in Modern Greek and Irakli () in Georgian. There are many teams around the world that have this name or have Heracles as their symbol. The most popular in Greece is G.S."