Giralda. Original Minaret, Great Mosque, Seville

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The original minaret for the Great Mosque of Seville stood tall in al-Andalus, Moorish Spain, under Almohad dynasty rule.\nThe caliph Abu Ya'qub Yusuf commissioned its construction in 1171 and oversaw every detail personally, enlisting skilled craftsmen from across Al-Andalus and the Maghrib to work on the mosque's design, building, and decoration.\nBy 1176, the massive structure was complete, a testament to the skill and dedication of those involved.\nThe tower reached new heights in 1198 when four gleaming metal spheres were added to its peak, symbolizing al-Mansur's triumph over Alfonso VIII of Castile four years earlier.\nAs Seville fell back into Christian hands during the Reconquista in 1248, the mosque was repurposed as a cathedral, its grandeur forever changed.