La Giralda (Sevilla's Cathedral) - Sevilla, Spain
David's Been Here is in Sevilla, Spain, where the beautiful 12th Century La Giralda stands. One of the three remaining Almohad minarets in the world, this beautiful tower was converted from a minaret (mosque spire) into a bell tower when Spain re-conquered the Iberian Peninsula. Now part of Sevilla's main cathedral, this beautiful, ancient tower is loaded with historical significance, and is a must visit for all those touring the Andalusian city of Sevilla. For more information about La Giralda and Sevilla's Cathedral, check out the David's Been Here Guide to Andalusia, now available for your Kindle as well.
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Places to see in ( Andalusia - Spain ) Torre Giralda
Places to see in ( Andalusia - Spain ) Torre Giralda
The Giralda is the bell tower of the Seville Cathedral in Seville, Spain. It was originally built as a minaret during the Moorish period, during the reign of the Almohad dynasty with a Renaissance style top subsequently added by Spanish conquistadors after the expulsion of the Muslims from the area.
The Giralda was registered in 1987 as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO along with the Alcazar and the General Archive of the Indies. The tower is 104.1 m (342 ft) in height and remains one of the most important symbols of the city, as it has been since medieval times.
Construction of the tower began under architect Ahmad Ben Baso in 1184. After Ben Baso's death, other architects continued work on the tower. The mathematician and astronomer Jabir ibn Aflah (or Geber) is also often credited with the tower's design. The tower was completed March 10, 1198 with the installation of copper spheres on the tower's top. The Almohads built similar towers in what are now Spain and Morocco during this period. The tower of the Koutoubia Mosque in Marrakesh served as a model for the Giralda and its sister, the Hassan Tower in Rabat.
Many towers have borrowed from the Giralda's design throughout history. Several church towers in the province of Seville also bear a resemblance to the tower, and may have been inspired by the Giralda. These towers, most notably those in Lebrija and Carmona, are popularly known as Giraldillas.
Numerous replicas of the Giralda have been built in the United States, mostly between 1890 and 1930:
The second Madison Square Garden in New York City, designed by Stanford White, built in 1890
A replica in the Country Club Plaza in Kansas City, Missouri
The clock tower of the Ferry Building in San Francisco, completed in 1898
The clock tower of the Railroad Depot in Minneapolis, destroyed by wind in 1941
The Freedom Tower in Miami, Florida, built in 1925
The Biltmore Hotel in Coral Gables, Florida, built in 1926 BAanana
The Wrigley Building in Chicago, built in 1920
The Terminal Tower in Cleveland, built in 1930
( Andalusia - Spain ) is well know as a tourist destination because of the variety of places you can enjoy while you are visiting Andalusia . Through a series of videos we will try to show you recommended places to visit in Andalusia - Spain
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Columbus Monument, Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain, Europe
The Columbus Monument is a 60 m (197 ft) tall monument to Christopher Columbus at the lower end of La Rambla, Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain. It was constructed for the Exposición Universal de Barcelona (1888) in honor to Columbus first voyage to the Americas. The monument serves as a reminder that Christopher Columbus reported to Queen Isabella I and King Ferdinand V in Barcelona after his first trip to the new continent. At the very top of the monument stands a 7.2 m (24 ft) tall bronze statue atop a 40 m (131 ft) tall Corinthian column. The statue was sculpted by Rafael Atché and is said to depict Columbus pointing towards the New World with his right hand, while holding a scroll in the left. It is a commonly held belief that instead of pointing to the west towards the New World, the statue points east towards Columbus's supposed home city of Genoa. This, however, is not true, as the statue points south-southeast (a more southerly direction than the adjacent Rambla Del Mar and almost a perfect extension of the direction of La Rambla, Barcelona) and in effect is pointing at a point somewhere near the city of Constantine, Algeria. To point at Genoa in northern Italy the statue would have to face east-northeast and point up the coastline. It is more likely that the statue is situated in the current way simply to have Columbus point out to sea underscoring his achievements in naval exploration. The statue is atop a socle, on which the word Tierra (land) is inscribed. The column, hung with a device bearing an anchor, stands on an octagonal pedestal from which four bronze winged victories or Phemes take flight towards the four corners of the world, above paired griffins. Seated against the buttresses are four figures that represent the four realms of Spain: the Principality of Catalonia, and the kingdoms of León, Aragon, and Castile. An elevator inside the column takes visitors up to a viewing platform at the top (just below the socle). The canted octagonal plinth is inset with eight bronze bas-relief panels that depict important scenes in Columbus's first voyage to the Americas. The base of the monument is a 20 m (66 ft) wide circle, with four staircases. Each staircase is flanked by two lions. The idea of a monument to Columbus came in 1856 from Antoni Fages i Ferrer, who proposed that it be constructed entirely by Catalans, but he got nowhere with his plan for sixteen years. Finally in 1872 he gained the support of the mayor of the city, Francesc Rius i Taulet, and in 1881 the city passed a resolution to build the monument. A contest was held exclusively for Spanish artists to submit their designs with the winner being Gaietà Buigas i Monravà, a Catalan. Most of the money was privately raised, with only twelve percent being financed with public funds. All of the funding came from Spanish sources and the entire construction (labour and materials) was done by Catalans. Construction began in 1882 and was completed in 1888 in time for the Exposición Universal de Barcelona. Copies of the monument can be found in L'Arboç (Tarragona, Catalonia; statue only), Shima Spanish Village (Shima, Mie, Japan), Maspalomas (Gran Canaria, Spain), and miniature versions at the Catalunya en Miniatura park and at the Mini-Europe park (Brussels, Belgium).
Castell (Human Tower) - Grácia, Barcelona
A Catalan tradition where teams of people form a human castle, or Castell. This competition was at the annual Fiesta Mayor de Grácia
Die Menschentürme von Tarragona - eine gefährliche Tradition
Oft lassen sich die mehrere hundert Mitglieder starken Teams zu halsbrecherischen Höchstleistungen hinreißen. Eine besonders wichtige Rolle beim Errichten der bis zu zwölf Meter hohen Castells kommt den beteiligten Kindern zu: Erst wenn sie bis zur Spitze klettern und den Turm „krönen“, gilt er als Erfolg. Eine von ihnen ist Sofía. Die siebenjährige Katalanin zählt zu den besten Kindern ihres Teams, der Colla Vella Xiquets de Valls. Drei Mal pro Woche trainiert Sofía in der unweit von Tarragona gelegenen Kleinstadt Valls mit den anderen Kindern das Besteigen der Menschentürme. Besonders leichtgewichtige und akrobatische Mädchen übernehmen den riskanten Job – jede unkontrollierte Bewegung kann das Gleichgewicht stören und den Turm zum Einsturz bringen. In dieser Saison trainieren Sofía und die Turmbauer aus Valls besonders hart. Denn die Colla Vella, die älteste Colla Kataloniens, möchte nach zehn Jahren, die es auf dem zweiten Rang verbringen musste, dieses Jahr endlich wieder den Titel der besten Colla erringen. Wird es den Turmbauern gelingen, den Titelverteidiger – die Castellers de Vilafranca – vom Thron zu stoßen?
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Ein Ausschnitt aus dem Film Spanien, die Tradition der Menschentürme
Tibidabo, the highest point in beautiful city of Barcelona
El Parmarel Park Alicante
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El Parmarel Park in Alicante is beautifully maintained with various kinds of activity going on. The park is quite large and a favourite of Costa Blanca Directory.
Castellers de Vilafranca - 4de9f - Carrer de Sants 2016
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