In the twelfth century the Almohades, who dominated the region, built a new great mosque in Seville. Construction of its minaret started in 1184 under the lead of engineer Gever, who designed an ingenious structure with two separate load-bearing walls connected to each other via an internal ramp. Construction of the minaret was completed in 1198. Stones from ancient Roman monuments were used to build the tower. At the foot of the Giralda one can still find inscriptions dating back to the era of Emperor Augustus.The tower can be accessed from inside the cathedral. A long climb on the ramp leads to the tower's belfry from where you have a superb 360 degree view over Seville. You can easily spot landmarks such as the Real Alcazar, Plaza de Espana and Plaza de Toros de la Maestranza.