Revista The Tourist Febrero / Marzo Abril 2019 01 | Page 5

FOR LOOKING MUSEUMS AND MONUMENTS
I T WAS BUILT AS A MINA
ret for the mosque between 1184
and 1198 by Ahmed Ben Baso,
who also built otµher twin mina-
rets in the North of Africa, espe-
cially in the Magreb region: the
Kutubia in Marrakesh, the Has-
san tower in Rabat and the Man-
suriah of Tremecen. They are the
three Giraldas on the other side
of the Strait.
This 76 metre high minaret was
crowned with four large golden
balls which were said to be seen
from more than 40 km away. The
Giralda was such an admired
building that when the Moslems
surrendered the city, they asked
for permission to destroy the to-
wer, and Prince Don Alfonso re-
plied with a sentence which has
already become famous in His-
tory, “If only one brick were re-
moved from the tower they would
all be stabbed to death”.
The foundations of La Giralda,
which go underground fifteen
metres were built with Roman
ruins from Seville and Itálica. The
tower itself is made of bricks and
as decoration there are four large
sets of sebka motives, or sculpted
bricks. In the middle of the wall
there are lobe shaped windows
overlapping with Roman light
splitting columns.
In order to admire the views of
the city from the top of this im-
pressive minaret 35 ramps, and
not steps, have to be climbed. The
reason was so that the muezzin in
charge of calling the people to
EL PATIO DE LOS NARANJOS
s Es, junto a la Giralda, el único resto
de la mezquita mayor de la ciudad.
Aquí los musulmanes realizaban las
abluciones como acto de purifica-
ción.
prayer could climb to the top on
his horse.
The second important moment
of La Giralda happened between
1558 and 1568. As the city beca-
me wealthy with the gold brought
from America the church autho-
rities decided to build a new top
as a symbol of Christian power.
Therefore a Renaissance style
belfry was added to the Islamic
body and reached up to 93 metres.
The Córdoba architect Hernán
Ruiz II el Joven was in charge of
the reform. After this transfor-
mation the Giraldillo was added,
a weather vane with the shape of
a woman, known in Seville as
“The Giant”, and really repre-
sents the triumph of faith.
Ò HORARIO
OPENING HOUR
Lunes: de 11:00 a 15:30
(de 16:30 a 18:00 visita audioguiada
gratuita con reserva anticipada)
De martes a sábado: de 11:00 a 17:00
Domingo: de 14:30 a 18:00
Tarifas (incluye la Catedral):
Entrada general : 9 €
Entrada reducida* 4 € (Pensionistas /
Estudiantes de hasta 25 años)
* Acreditándolo mediante
documento oficial
Monday: from 11:00 to 15:30
(from 16:30 to 18:00 free audiotour with
advance reservation)
Tuesday to saturday:
from 11:00 to 17:00.
Sunday: from 14:30 to 18:00.
Price (Including The Catedral): 9 € .
Discount price* 4 € for retirees and
students up to 25 years old
* Must present an official proof
902099692
Together with La Giralda it is the
only remains of the old main mos-
que of the city. It is where the Mos-
lems carried out ablutions as an act
of purification.
s Todo el patio está poblado de na-
ranjos en alcorques unidos por ca-
nalillos de riego sobre pavimento
de ladrillo.
Orange trees cover the whole
courtyard joined by little canals for
irrigation on the brick pavement.
s En los muros que lo rodean pue-
den leerse hasta 880 tarjetas de fra-
ses del Corán de escritura arábiga
labradas a mano.
The walls surrounding it have hand-
made engravings with more than
880 sentences of the Coran in Ara-
bic.
s En el centro del recinto se puede
ver una hermosa fuente de origen
visigodo donde, según la tradi-
ción, fue bautizado San Hermene-
gildo.
In the middle of the courtyard there
is a Visigoth fountain where accor-
ding to tradition Saint Hermenegil-
do was baptised.
s A los lados corren galerías de ar-
cos de herraduras apuntados don-
de se alojan la Biblioteca Capitular
y la Biblioteca Colombina así como
la única capilla que resta de la pri-
mitiva Mezquita-Catedral, la de la
Virgen de la Granada.
On the sides there are galeries with
pointed horseshoe arches which
enclose the Chapter Library and
the Colombino Library as well as
the only chapel which remains from
the old Mosque Cathedral, that of
the Virgen de Granada.
Artesanos en Cuero,
abanicos pintados a mano
Artisans in Leather,
hand-painted fans
C/ Puerta de la Carne, 4 Local, bajo izquierda (D6)
Tf.954 425 908 |
El Caiman Sevilla
I F
Y O U H AV E A N Y Q U E S T I O N S , A S K Y O U R C O N C I E R G E
T HE T OURIST 5