Rock of Gibraltar

#RockOfGibraltar
Its a massive limestone monolith 
that rises over 400 meters (1400 feet) above the Mediterranean Sea
 It is still a British territory that has an unique history as you will see and read

 

The Neanderthals
A skull was found in 1848 at the Forbes Quarry almost a decade before the famous discovery
at the German Neander Valley location
With that, scientists believe the cave complex here on Gibraltar was one of the very last places
Neanderthals lived on Earth before going extinct

More Tunnels Than Roads
They were built for the wars and carved out during two major historical events
The Great Siege in the late 1700s and the large expansion during the Second World War, which at its peak sheltered up to 30,000 soldiers underground within the caves

Greek Mythology
The Rock was considered one of the two Pillars of Hercules, with the other being
a mountain in nearby Morocco.
Sailors truly believed it marked the absolute edge of the known world to them and they would just
disappear into an abyss if crossing past this "gate"

Barbary Macaques 
They are the only free-roaming wild monkey population located in Europe

UK Connections
A) The English Legend; a local superstition says if they ever leave or die out, the British rule
 over Gibraltar would end
B) Winston Churchill Rescue Mission; during the Second World War the Prime Minister was so worried about the dwindling monkey population, that he ordered new macaques to be flown in from Morocco to boost the population
C) Military Health; they were officially cared for by the British Army, with one officer that was assigned to oversee their diets and to treat any sick or injured at the Royal Naval Hospital

St Michaels 
It was once thought to be a bottomless pit or an underground tunnel to Africa, with its largest chamber called the Cathedral Cave
It now hosts music, ballet and drama events thanks to its amazing acoustics plus of course
 the very unique setting

Early History
A) Gates to Hell; the ancient Greeks believed the deep and dark openings were the entrance
to the underworld
B) Military Use; workers prepared the site to be used as an emergency hospital during the Second World War, but it was not needed
C) Discovery; engineers accidentally found a lower cave in 1942 while doing some military blasting.
This hidden chamber had been completely sealed off from the outside world
for over 20,000 years

Gibraltar International Airport
It has a public road (Winston Churchill Avenue) that intersects directly with the runway

Fun Facts
A) World War Origins; built in 1939 by the military, the airfield was constructed on a narrow isthmus from the Bay of Gibraltar to the Mediterranean Sea
B) The Intersection; traffic lights and railway-style barriers would stop cars and pedestrians every time a plane was landing or taking off
C) Kingsway Tunnel; an underground passage opened in 2023 to divert regular traffic beneath the runway. But people and cyclists still cross the active tarmac, making it the only airport runway you can legally stroll across

Pilot Skills
Because the airport is flanked by the massive 426 meter-high (1400 feet) Rock of Gibraltar, it creates intense crosswinds and tricky landing conditions. Add in the fact that its a short 1829 meter (6000 feet)  runway surrounded by water, the aviator needs to be on top of his/her game when landing here

John & Yoko
They initially tried to get married in Paris but faced a strict legal roadblock.
As most European countries required several weeks of residency, before any vows can take place

British Overseas Territory
A rep from the Beatles record company Apple discovered that if a person is a citizen from England, you could marry on very short notice here
So get yourself a chartered plane, have a brief ten minute ceremony and all of this gives you the end result; a newlywed couple