The Giralda Tower
is the Symbol of Seville

The Giralda tower is one of the highlights of Seville and one of its most representative buildings. It is the most visited monument of the city along with the Cathedral and you should definitely not miss it.

The importance of the Giralda is justified because it is the bell tower of one of the largest churches in the world (the Cathedral of Seville is the 3rd biggest one in the world) and also, because it is one of the finest examples of the cultural blend that defines Spain.

General information about the Giralda

To purchase a reduced ticket or have the right to enter free, you must have with you an official document proving your status. Don't forget it at home or you accommodation...

By the way, the opening hours can be modified due to religious ceremonies and other cultural activities. Make sure you check the Cathedral calendar to confirm visits are allowed.

As the Giralda is part of the Cathedral of Seville, it is included in its website. Despite being very fancy and informative, the website is only in Spanish. Let's hope someone decides to translate it soon.

If you speak Spanish you may want to have a look at it anyway.

However, it has a big advantage. You can buy the tickets online (including the reduced ones).

To do so, once you're at the home page, click on 'Venta de entradas' and a new window will appear giving you access to the purchase site. You'll go through a Spanish bank, so they'll charge you a bit more for their service (1 extra euro/ticket).

One last thing, you can buy tickets with one day to three months in advance of the date of your visit. The tickets are non-refundable and only valid for the date you chosed (i.e. if you couldn't make it, you won't get a refund...).

Origins of the tower

The Arab invasion lasted for almost eight centuries until in 1492 the Catholic Kings expelled the Arabs. During that time, Moorish Iberia (Spain and Portugal today) was called Al-Andalus. Moreover, Seville was designated as the capital during the Almohad period (1121-1269) and it was decided that a great mosque had to be founded.

The Giralda tower is probably the most ancient building of Seville. It was built between 1184 and 1198 to be the minaret of this great mosque. Its design is based on the minaret of the Koutoubia, the most important mosque of Morocco, located in Marrakech.

Originally, the minaret had a copper sphere on
top of it. It disappeared after a strong earthquake in 1365.

At present, the main body of the tower is the minaret itself and it is a fine example of the Arab architecture of the time. You'll notice in other monuments that this style has been both a symbol and an inspiration of constructions all over Seville (e.g. the Torre del Oro or the Alcazar).

Additions to the original building

When the Arabs left, the mosque was transformed in a church, the Giralda became its bell tower and the Christians placed a cross and a bell on top of it. During the 16th century, a Renaissance section was added to include more bells.

In 1568, the architect Hernan Ruiz was commissioned by the city hall to design a statue that would represent the Christian Faith. The statue stands 4 m (13 ft) in height and it is still there today.

Almost at the tip of the tower, you can read the following words "TURRIS FORTISSIMA NOMEN DNI PROVERB. 18" which means "The name of the Lord is a strong tower" in Latin and it is a proverb of the Bible (proverbs, 18:10).

This section of the tower also contains a large inscription of Seville's motto, NO8DO. The king Alfonso X of Castile gave the motto to the city when it continued to support his rule while his son was trying to usurp him the throne (1282).

Curiosities about the Giralda

- The word Giralda comes from the Spanish verb girar (to turn) and it means "tower weather vane with and animal or human shape". Over time, this word was adopted to name the whole Giralda tower and the statue on top was known as Giraldillo.

You can have a look at a copy of the Giraldillo that was placed in 2006 in one of the Cathedral's entrances (the one in front of the Lion's Gate at the Alcazar).

- The foundations of the Giralda tower are stones from ancient Roman constructions and some of them can be seen next to the floor. You'll recognize them because there are some Latin graffiti on them.

- There is an Arabic inscription on top of a column capital at the ramp #22 saying "In Allah's name, Allah's blessing for the Iman, serf of Allah, al-Hakam al-Mustansir billah, Prince of the Believers. He ordered the construction to (the name can't be read) al-Banna in the year
two and sixty and three hundred". This year (362) corresponds to 972 in our calendar.

- The architect of the Giralda, Ahmed Ben Maso, designed and built another minaret that is considered the twin sister of the Seville's one. You can visit it in Rabat (Morocco) and it is called the Hassan tower.

The Giralda's (not so) hidden bonus!

The Giralda tower is 97.5 m high (320 ft) and you can climb to the top. Actually, you should because the views from there are absolutely gorgeous.

The bad news is that there is no elevator!

But, fortunately, the sultan ordered to build 35 ramps instead of steps so that the muezzin could ride a horse to the top to recite the Adhan (call to prayer)...

... so, there's no excuse. If I did it (and I'm not fit at all), you can too!

Return to top

  

Share this page:		Get travel advice, Seville news, insider tips, and a free copy of the Seville Pocket Guide!
Tweet		Find out more
+1 Seville Traveller:
Page	Site