A clock tower with a turret clock on one or the other facet, is a typical sight in all parts of the world. They used to be erected in the centre of the towns and cities for the inhabitants and bypassers to know the time, since, back in the eighteenth century, owning personal timepieces or watches was not a common practice. Today, the soaring clock towers across the world, serve as notable historic points as well as are great tourist magnets. Let’s look up to some of the finest clock towers the world has seen so far.
If you are a history and architecture buff, then the following list may intrigue you in more than one ways. Here you go–
- Rajabai Clock Tower, Mumbai, India
The 279 feet tall Rajabai Clock Tower is situated inside the bounds of the Fort grounds of the University of Mumbai in the south of the city in India. Having a stark resemblance to the Big Ben in a combination of Venetian and Gothic styles of architecture, the clock tower is built using the local Kurla stone, and is one of the historic points in India. It has the city’s best stained glass windows. This clocktower once turned into a prominent suicide spot, and therefore, was shut to the general public. So while you enter the limits of the city in a Pune to Mumbai taxi, ask your driver to take you to the Rajabai Clock Tower, at the least, the point from which you can clearly admire its grandeur.
- Rathaus-Glockenspiel, Munich, Germany
The Rathaus-Glockenspiel is situated in Marienplatz, Munich, and is a prominent tourist destination. It is a part of the New Town Hall, installed amid its second development stage in 1908. It has 32 life-sized figurines that come alive every day at 11 am, and at 12pm and 5 pm during summer, re-enacting two stories from the sixteenth century, after which, a little rooster hoots thrice, just like you get to see in a co-coo clock.
- Old Arts Building, Auckland, New Zealand
The University of Auckland was opened in 1883, and the exquisite tower within the campus has been the center of attraction of the university since its completion in 1926. The Old Arts Building, as it is called, is 175 feet tall and was designed by US planner and architect Roy Lippincott in a interpretation of the Perpendicular Gothic style with Art Nouveau components.
- Abraj Al-Bait Tower, Mecca, Saudi Arabia
Abraj Al-Bait Tower is situated in Mecca, Saudi Arabia, some meters away from the Masjid al-Haram, the biggest mosque on the planet, and is likewise called the Mecca Royal Hotel Clock Tower. It is a megatall building perplexing, owned by the government. They are a part of the King Abdulaziz Endowment Project. At 601m, it is one of the world’s tallest clock tower, and additionally the world’s largest clock face.
- Main Building, Moscow State University, Russia
The central tower of the Moscow State University building, built in the Soviet Classicist style and completed in 1953, soars to an astounding 774 feet into the air. Each of the corner towers stand at a height of 387 feet. The clock is the biggest in Moscow, measuring 29.5 feet in diameter. Designer Rudnev Lev Vladimirovich planned this building, and this masterpiece is known to be his crowning glory.
This list is just the tip of the iceberg, for there are several other clock towers around the world that have been stealing attention since ages. Clock towers always have something or the other interesting about them, and if you are curious enough, you can enjoy the insights immensely! So instead of looking for the weekend getaways from Mumbai, better look at the clock tower and other such unconventional milestones that history gave to mankind.
