Giralda

The Giralda is a former Almohad minaret converted to a bell tower in Seville, Spain. The Giralda is part of one of the most important buildings in Seville, the Cathedral, on of the largest in the world and a true jewel of the gothic and baroque styles. In its day, the Giralda, at 320 ft (97.5 meters) in height, was the tallest tower in the world. Without a doubt, it was one of the most important symbols in the city.

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The tower, an ancient minaret from the Almohad mosque of Seville, is constructed in several distinct parts from different cultures. The Islamic body is the oldest part. It was built in 1184 under the orders of Abu Yusuf Ya'qub al-Mansur. Several old buildings, including Roman ruins were used as base materials for the construction. The Giralda has no stairs; instead, 35 ramps are used to ascend the tower. The ramps were sufficiently wide for the muezzin to ride a horse to the top of the tower to yell the Adhan, call to prayer.

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The copper sphere that originally topped the tower fell in an earthquake in 1365. Christians replaced the sphere with a cross and bell. Later, in the 16th century the architect Hern?n Ruiz designed an belfry addition to convert the minaret to a bell tower. At the top of the addition stands a statue representing faith.

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The statue, standing 13 feet (4 meters) in height (23 ft (7 m) with the pedestal) crowned the top of the tower after its installation in 1568. The statue was originally called Giralda (?weathervane?) since it twists with the wind on a weathervane. With the passage of time, the tower became known as the Giralda while the statue took the name Giraldillo.

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The Renaissance section of the tower also contains a large inscription of Seville?s motto, NO8DO. Alfonso X of Castile gave the motto to the city when it continued to support his rule during an insurrection. A rebus, the motto means "no me ha dejado" or ?it did not abandon me.?

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Covering the top of the tower is the ?Lily section? of the tower. This surrounds the enclosure with the bell. In this section, located near the top of the tower, each corner has a basin containing bronze lilies. Below the statue of Faith sits a dome covered with stars.

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On December 29, 1928 the tower was declared a World Heritage Site.

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The tower has several sister towers. The same architect, Jabir, who built the Giralda also built similar towers in what is now Morocco. The tower of the Koutoubia Mosque in Marrakesh served as a model for the Giralda and its sister, the Hassan Tower in Rabat. Replicas of the Giralda have been built in the United States: one, now destroyed, in Madison Square Garden in New York and another in Kansas City.

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Almohad: The Almohad Dynasty (From Arabic ???????? al-Muwahhidun, i.e. "the monotheists" or "the Unitarians," the name being corrupted through the Spanish), a Berber Muslim religious power which founded the fifth Moorish dynasty in the 12th century, and conquered all northern Africa as far as Egypt, together...

Minaret: Minarets (Arabic Minara ] Minarat and Urdu: minra pl. minar) are distinctive architectural features of Islamic mosques. Minarets are generally tall, graceful spires, with onion-shaped crowns, usually either free standing or much taller than any surrounding support structure....

Bell tower: A bell tower is a tower containing one or more bells, typically found on a church....