The followers of Tariq ibn Ziyad , who invaded Spain via Gibraltar in 711 , are said to have adopted the symbol of the key when they settled in Granada .
The idea of Gibraltar being the key to Spain or the Mediterranean originated well before the Spanish conquest .
The followers of Tariq ibn Ziyad , who invaded Spain via Gibraltar in 711 , are said to have adopted the symbol of the key when they settled in Granada .
The idea of Gibraltar being the key to Spain or the Mediterranean originated well before the Spanish conquest .