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Why the
Seville Cathedral
and its Giralda
Tower
are special
The Seville Cathedral's golden altarpiece is awesome and its tall bell tower,
the Giralda, is a Moorish architectural masterpiece.

Tips & insights on
the Seville Cathedral

The
Seville Cathedral was built over a grand mosque. It took just a tad more than a
century to build, which is remarkably fast considering its size, complexity and
construction era.

During
the planning stages, an official famously said, "Let's build a church so large
that viewers will think we're crazy".
It was built large, incredibly so.

The
altarpiece in the main chapel is the Seville Cathedral's finest attraction. It
rises 27 meters (90 feet) and its numerous skillfully sculpted wooden statues and
other carvings are thickly gilded, making it the world's richest and most
dazzling altarpiece.

The
ceiling of the Seville Cathedral soars as high as a modern 13-story building.

Christopher
Columbus is entombed in the Seville Cathedral. This was confirmed by recent DNA
testing.

Tips & insights on
the Giralda Tower

The
Giralda Tower has become the symbol of Seville.

It
is 97 meters or 320 feet tall. (You can see on the right side of the cathedral in
the photo.)

The
Giralda Tower was originally a minaret. It was converted into a bell tower after
the Christians retook Seville from the Moors in the 13th century.

For
a panoramic view of the city, hike up the interior ramp of the Giralda Tower to
the observatory (about 200 feet above street level).



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