One of the jewels of world architecture, the distinctive Giralda Tower has stood watch over Seville since 1198, when it was built on the orders of a powerful Moorish Caliph. It was designed as a minaret (a place where the Muslim muezzin call the faithful to prayer) and served this function until the thirteenth century, when the city fell to the Christian Reconquest. According to legend, the Moors loved the tower so much that they threatened to demolish it rather than let it fall into the hands of the Christians: only Christian King Alfonso X’s warning that the entire population would be put to the sword if a single stone was removed persuaded them to leave it alone.
Once in the possession of the Christians, the mosque was converted to a cathedral and the Giralda became a bell tower. The inner construction is quite amazing, featuring a series of ramps that were designed to allow the muezzin to reach the top of the tower on horseback.