Seville is the capital city of Andalusia. Besides being considered as one of the most beautiful cities, if not the most beautiful one, in its country, Seville hides a lots of treasures which bring an impressive number of tourists to this city each year. One of the greatest trademarks of Seville is its cathedral which is the biggest gothic cathedral in the world. It is considered to be the biggest one as the basilica of Saint Peter actually it is not a cathedral. On the other hand, it is the greatest temple in the world, right after the basilica of Saint Peter of Vatican in Rome and Saint Paul in London. In 1987 UNESCO named it as a World Heritage Site.
One unusual fact about it is that it does not have a headboard, just like every other gothic cathedral. Its living room has a shape of a perfect rectangle which equals millimetrically to the one of the alhama, where its roots come from. The shape of the doors, as well as the details on it speak volumes about their origin too. When it comes to the walls it is of crucial importance to mention that they have little thickness. Since all the windows are quite small, the natural light in the cathedral is scarce. However the windows are made of beautiful and unique stained glass.
There’s some part of the cathedral that cannot be omitted. Its history, just like its beauty are worth checking. We are talking about The Giralda which is the Bell Tower of the Cathedral of Seville. Its architecture, as well as its function over the years are a real treasure for the city, therefore it has been named as UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1987. Its location, which is the heart of the old town of the city, is of great importance too and makes it even more touristic. It has a square shaped base which lies on 7.12 meters above the sea level. It is as high as 104.06 meters, therefore it is one of the highest buildings in the city of Seville. An important fact is that it was built on the bases of the minaret of the Koutoubia mosque in Marrakesh, Morocco. However, the top of La Giralda and its bell are of Renaissance European progeny.
One of the most beautiful spots in the cathedral is the Royal Chapel which serves as the head of the chapel. It has a unique construction as instead of a large ojival ambulatory, which is quite typical for Gothic, you see a Renaissance apse. The cathedral itself is a grave place of some of the royal family members at the time. The pantheon of King San Fernando and its son, Alfonso, are located in this chapel.
Nowadays is one of the most visited monuments and cathedrals not only in Andalusia but in Spain in general. People all over the world cross thousands of kilometers just to see the biggest, yet most beautiful, ghotic cathedral in the world which served as a sample for the Saint Paul cathedral later on. Its entrance is open for everyone who is willing to see, feel and live the spirit of the history and the religion perfectly united in one place.
