The Giralda is the bell tower of Seville Cathedral and the unmistakable silhouette of the city. Built as a minaret in 1184, it rises 97 metres and its lower Moorish section, covered in intricate geometric brickwork, contrasts beautifully with the Christian Renaissance belfry added in the 16th century. The great bronze weathervane (the giralda — "rotating figure") at the very top gives the tower its name.
The climb is via 35 gently inclined ramps rather than stairs, designed so that the muezzin could ride a horse to the top for the call to prayer. Entry is included in the cathedral ticket. The views from the top take in the cathedral's extraordinary flying buttresses at close range and stretch across the old city to the Plaza de España and María Luisa Park beyond.