The Cathedral of Sevilla is one of the largest and most impressive churches in the world. Construction of the cathedral started in the early 15th century at the site of a great mosque which was built by the Moors in the late 12th century. The mosque had been damaged by an earthquake and in July 1401, the Chapter met and decided to replace the damaged mosque with a new, grand cathedral, according to tradition with the words 'We shall build such a large church that those who will see it finished will consider us crazy´Already in 1248, shortly after the reconquest of the city by the Christians, the original mosque was consecrated as a cathedral. After the earthquake of 1356 much of the original mosque had collapsed but some parts survived, including the minaret, now the lower section of the cathedral's famous bell tower - the Giralda - and the Patio de los Naranjos, a large courtyard.