The Giralda in Seville is the 104-meter tall bell tower of the Seville Cathedral. When the tower, i.e. bell tower, was built, it was built as a minaret for the then Great Mosque, during the reign of the Almohad dynasty. When the Catholics expelled the Muslims from the area, a bell tower in the Renaissance style was added to the minaret. Since 1987, Giralda has been part of the UNESCO world cultural heritage. Giralda is 104 meters high.
As in the Middle Ages and today, the Giralda is one of the most important symbols of Seville. The mosque of this minaret was built on the site of an old mosque from the 9th century, named after Ibn Addabasa. A new mosque was built on the site of the old mosque, which was undamaged, because the old mosque could not accommodate the growing number of believers. The construction of a new mosque with a minaret began in 1171. The mosque was completed in 1176, and the first prayer was held there in 1182. Prayers were held on Fridays. The minaret was built a little longer with breaks. The minaret was built from hewn stone, from local bricks, from recycled marble from old monuments. The minaret was completed in 1198. At the very top of the minaret were added 4 spheres made of precious metal, bronze and gold, which represent the great victory of Mansour over Alfonso of Castile, which took place in 1194.
When it was built, the minaret was named Giralda (La Giralda), so it is still called today. The tower was built in a rectangular shape, it consists of two main shafts and a belfry that was built later when the appearance of the tower was changed. The facade of the tower is decorated with decorative mosaics with windows that let light inside the tower exactly as much as is needed. Each part of the tower has a meaning, so the marble columns represent the "corrupted capitals from the 9th and 10th centuries from the Umayyad era." During history, the minaret was also restored, when some decorative elements were removed.
As many as 12 buildings in the world are inspired by the Giralda, so they represent smaller or larger replicas: Giralda Replica in Kansas City, Madison Square Garden in New York, Country Club Plaza in Kansas City, Ferry Building Clock Tower in San Francisco, Clock Tower on the Railroad in Minneapolis , which was destroyed by strong winds, the Freedom Tower in Miami and the Hotel Baltimore in Coral Gables also in Florida, the Wrigley Building in Chicago, the Terminal Tower in Cleveland, the Clock Tower in Puerto Rico, the Palace of Culture and Science in Warsaw and the University Library Tower in Leuven in Belgium.
It is possible to climb the tower and enjoy the beautiful view.
Working hours
from September to June from 11:00 to 15:30 - 18:00 on Saturdays
July and August from 9:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.
and on Sundays it is open in the afternoon, from 2:30 p.m. to 6:00 p.m.
Entrance fee: €9
for students and pensioners €4
visit to the roof and glass windows €12
enting audio headphones costs an additional €3 per person.
Author of the text:
Maja Glavaš, Bachelor with Honours in Communicology. Works in Tourism.
Contact: [email protected]; instagram: travel_europe1
