One of Gibraltar’s most important medieval landmarks reopens to the public today following an extensive restoration programme. The work centred on the Tower of Homage at the Moorish Castle, a massive 14th-century Islamic fortification overlooking one of the historic gateways between North Africa and the Iberian Peninsula.
The reopening is the first phase of Gibraltar’s new “Three Empires” heritage project, which aims to connect and interpret fortifications associated with the territory’s Islamic, Spanish and British periods. Further phases will include the former prison complex known as the Dungeons and the Northern Defences.
Conservation work has been underway across the Moorish Castle complex. In addition to work on the Tower of Homage and Inner Keep, vegetation was recently removed from the medieval Gatehouse to prevent roots from damaging its masonry. Plans for the wider site have also included restoration of stonework and battlements, improved visitor access and new interpretive displays.
A medieval Islamic stronghold
The Tower of Homage at Gibraltar’s Moorish Castle, overlooking the city and the Bay of Gibraltar. Photo: InfoGibraltar
Although the surviving castle is the product of several periods of construction and rebuilding, Gibraltar’s first substantial fortifications date to 1160. The Almohad ruler ʿAbd al-Muʾmin ordered the creation of a fortified city called Medina al-Fath, or “City of Victory,” on the Rock.
The Castilians briefly held Gibraltar from 1309 until 1333, when it returned to Muslim control. In 1344, the Tower of Homage was built as part of a major strengthening of the castle’s defences.
The tower stands 23 metres high and covers about 320 square metres, occupying a commanding position roughly 100 metres above sea level. Gibraltar’s heritage authorities describe it as the largest tower of its kind in Al-Andalus. Much of it was constructed using tapia, a durable material containing crushed pottery or pumice, fragments of limestone or marble, lime and red-sand mortar.
The strengthened castle soon faced further attacks. In 1349, Alfonso XI of Castile besieged Gibraltar with a force of around 20,000 troops, but the castle held out. It survived further sieges during the following decades before finally falling to Castilian forces in 1462.
More than a single tower
Anton Van Den Wyngaerde’s sketch of Gibraltar’s medieval Tower of Homage and the castle’s northern defences, 1567
The Tower of Homage is the most recognisable surviving part of the Moorish Castle, but the medieval fortified town was considerably larger.
The upper Qasbah, or citadel, stood beneath the tower. Below it was the Villa Vieja, the main residential district, while La Barcina served as the commercial and port area. It included an atarazana, where ships could be constructed or repaired. As Gibraltar expanded, another district known as La Turba developed beyond the original castle.
Parts of this medieval defensive system remain. The surviving Gatehouse, about 400 feet west of the Tower of Homage, is Gibraltar’s only surviving medieval gatehouse. The British later converted the structure into a powder magazine, helping to preserve it even as other parts of the castle were altered or disappeared.
Local officials at the newly restored Tower of Homage at Gibraltar’s Moorish Castle during its inauguration on 9 September 2026. Photo: HM Government of Gibraltar
The castle continued to be adapted long after the Middle Ages. Its courtyard eventually became part of Gibraltar’s prison, a function the site retained until 2010.
Following today’s reopening of the Tower of Homage, Gibraltar’s government says the next stages of the project will take place over the coming months, including creating a route through fortifications that preserve different periods of the territory’s military history.
Top Image: The Moorish Castle in Gibraltar during restoration work in March 2025, with the medieval Tower of Homage rising above the castle complex. Photo: HM Government of Gibraltar / InfoGibraltar.
One of Gibraltar’s most important medieval landmarks reopens to the public today following an extensive restoration programme. The work centred on the Tower of Homage at the Moorish Castle, a massive 14th-century Islamic fortification overlooking one of the historic gateways between North Africa and the Iberian Peninsula.
The reopening is the first phase of Gibraltar’s new “Three Empires” heritage project, which aims to connect and interpret fortifications associated with the territory’s Islamic, Spanish and British periods. Further phases will include the former prison complex known as the Dungeons and the Northern Defences.
Conservation work has been underway across the Moorish Castle complex. In addition to work on the Tower of Homage and Inner Keep, vegetation was recently removed from the medieval Gatehouse to prevent roots from damaging its masonry. Plans for the wider site have also included restoration of stonework and battlements, improved visitor access and new interpretive displays.
A medieval Islamic stronghold
Although the surviving castle is the product of several periods of construction and rebuilding, Gibraltar’s first substantial fortifications date to 1160. The Almohad ruler ʿAbd al-Muʾmin ordered the creation of a fortified city called Medina al-Fath, or “City of Victory,” on the Rock.
The Castilians briefly held Gibraltar from 1309 until 1333, when it returned to Muslim control. In 1344, the Tower of Homage was built as part of a major strengthening of the castle’s defences.
The tower stands 23 metres high and covers about 320 square metres, occupying a commanding position roughly 100 metres above sea level. Gibraltar’s heritage authorities describe it as the largest tower of its kind in Al-Andalus. Much of it was constructed using tapia, a durable material containing crushed pottery or pumice, fragments of limestone or marble, lime and red-sand mortar.
The strengthened castle soon faced further attacks. In 1349, Alfonso XI of Castile besieged Gibraltar with a force of around 20,000 troops, but the castle held out. It survived further sieges during the following decades before finally falling to Castilian forces in 1462.
More than a single tower
The Tower of Homage is the most recognisable surviving part of the Moorish Castle, but the medieval fortified town was considerably larger.
The upper Qasbah, or citadel, stood beneath the tower. Below it was the Villa Vieja, the main residential district, while La Barcina served as the commercial and port area. It included an atarazana, where ships could be constructed or repaired. As Gibraltar expanded, another district known as La Turba developed beyond the original castle.
Parts of this medieval defensive system remain. The surviving Gatehouse, about 400 feet west of the Tower of Homage, is Gibraltar’s only surviving medieval gatehouse. The British later converted the structure into a powder magazine, helping to preserve it even as other parts of the castle were altered or disappeared.
The castle continued to be adapted long after the Middle Ages. Its courtyard eventually became part of Gibraltar’s prison, a function the site retained until 2010.
Following today’s reopening of the Tower of Homage, Gibraltar’s government says the next stages of the project will take place over the coming months, including creating a route through fortifications that preserve different periods of the territory’s military history.
Top Image: The Moorish Castle in Gibraltar during restoration work in March 2025, with the medieval Tower of Homage rising above the castle complex. Photo: HM Government of Gibraltar / InfoGibraltar.
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