Architectural Highlights in Gibraltar’s Old Town, Gibraltar, Gibraltar

Gibraltar is only a few square miles, but it packs in an astonishing architectural variety. Winding through its old town is like flipping through the pages of its history. A Moorish castle, Andalusian townhouses, British Barracks - a walk around Gibraltar’s centre is the best way to discover its unique architectural heritage, a place where civilisations have collided, each leaving their mark on the Rock.

Here’s an overview of architecture highlights you’ll find in Gibraltar’s old town, and what they tell us about Gibraltar’s history.

I’ve organised these architectural highlights into an easy walk. You can see all of the sights on a map at the bottom of the page.

Starting in Casemates Square, look up at the imposing Moorish Castle, bearing down on you from the Rock. Officially called the Tower of Homage, this is one of the few visible reminders left of Gibraltar’s Islamic past.

For more than 700 years - from the 8th century A.D. to the 14th - Gibraltar was occupied by the Moors. This means that it was Islamic longer than it has been British, and longer than it was Spanish.

Most of what we see today was built in the early 14th century, after the Spanish had managed to briefly take back the territory. When the Marinids - a North African Muslim dynasty - reconquered Gibraltar, they quickly set about improving the fortifications of the town. ...... (follow the instructions below for accessing the rest of this article).