5 Islamic sites in 2018’s top travel city, Seville

Photo: SEVILLE, SPAIN - FEBRUARY 23, 2006: Plaza de Espana, Seville / Federica Chioni via Flickr / CC BY 2.0

The travel giant Lonely Planet has announced that its top travel city for 2018 is the quintessentially Andalusian city of Seville, home of the flamenco, bull fighting, tapas, and over 500 hundred years of Muslim history. So here are our top five Muslim heritage sites you simply have to visit in the stunning Spanish city once known as “Ishbiliya”.

1. THE GIRALDA

Photo: SEVILLE, SPAIN - APRIL 18, 2016: View of the Giralda, the bell tower of the Cathedral in Seville which was originally built as a minaret in the Moorish period, seen from the gate of Patio de Banderas (Courtyard of the Flags) / Naeblys / Shutterstock.com

This 90-metre-high decorated bell tower was once the minaret of the city’s mosque. It was constructed between 1184 and 1198, at the height of Almohad rule. The delicate geometric patterns, now common throughout the Muslim world, sit on brickwork that changes colour with the light. Said to be Spain’s most perfect Islamic building, the Giralda is the official symbol of the city of Seville. A climb to the top takes you into the 16th-century Christian additions, made after the minaret was converted into a bell tower and the mosque into a cathedral. This is also the best place in town for spectacular views across Seville.