T R AV E L

The 10 Most Iconic

Clock Towers in the
World
From a 15th-century clock in Venice to a record-
breaking tower in Saudi Arabia, each of these clock
towers is worth looking up for

By Elizabeth Stamp
September 6, 2019

Long before we started constantly

looking down at our phones or
glancing at watches on our wrists,
clock towers were the best way to find
out the time. Mechanical clocks were
invented in the 13th century, but even
before that civilizations had found a
way to merge timekeeping and
architecture with obelisks and sundials.
Today clock towers remain some of the
most iconic structures in the world,
and in some cases, such as the Elizabeth
Tower (better known as Big Ben), are
symbols of their cities. The functional
designs provide information, add
beauty to the skyline, and often
provide a daily show of animated
figures or bells. From a 15th-century
clock in Venice to a record-breaking
tower in Saudi Arabia, each of these 10
clock towers is worth looking up for.

Photo: Getty Images

1/10

Elizabeth Tower, London,

England
One of London’s most iconic landmarks is the
clock tower at the Palace of Westminster, or
Houses of Parliament, which was completed in
1859. The tower is often referred to as Big Ben,
which is actually the nickname of its over 160-
year-old, 13-ton Great Bell. The tower was
renamed Elizabeth Tower in 2012 in honor of
Queen Elizabeth’s 60-year reign. A restoration
project began in 2017 and is due to be
completed in 2021.

Photo: Getty Images

2/10

Deira Clock Tower, Dubai,

United Arab Emirates
The Deira Clocktower is located at the gateway
of the Maktoum Bridge in the Deira area of
Dubai. Designed by architect Ziki Homsi, the
tower was built in the mid-1960s to celebrate
the country’s first oil exports. The tower was
reconstructed using concrete in 1989 because
the original steel reinforcements had corroded.
The clock faces were replaced in 2008, and the
tower now has Omega clocks with GPS systems
that eliminate the need for manual changes.

Photo: Getty Images/Sheriar Irani

3/10

Rajabai Clock Tower,

Mumbai, India
Located on the Fort campus of the University of
Mumbai, the Rajabai Clock Tower was designed
by British architect Sir Gilbert Scott, who took
inspiration from Elizabeth Tower. The
Venetian Gothic design was completed in 1878
and features four types of stone, stained-glass
windows, and limestone sculptures. A two-year
restoration, the first in the 280-foot tower’s
history, was completed in 2015.
Photo: Getty Images

4/10

St. Mark’s Clock Tower,

Venice, Italy
Commissioned in 1493, Torre dell'Orologio or
St. Mark’s Clock Tower is set in Venice’s famed
Piazza San Marco. Zuan Carlo Rainieri designed
the Astronomical Clock, which displays the
time as well as the signs of the zodiac and the
phases of the moon. The tower is topped by two
bronze figures that strike a bell on the hour;
twice a year, statues of the three kings and the
angel process past the sculpture of the Madonna
and child, which is displayed on a balcony above
the clock face. The clock tower has undergone
several restorations over the years, including
major renovations that began in 1752, 1857,
and 1996.

Photo: Getty Images/Daniël Leppens

5/10

Zimmer Tower, Lier, Belgium

The Zimmer Tower in Lier was originally built
in the early 15th century as part of the city’s
fortifications. In 1930, to celebrate the 100th
anniversary of Belgium’s independence,
clockmaker and Lier native Louis Zimmer
presented the town with the Centenary or
Jubilee clock, which has 12 dials around a
central timepiece. The dials display a variety of
information, including the phases of the moon,
signs of the zodiac, seasons, and the metonic
cycle. The tower became a state-protected
monument in 1980.

Photo: Getty Images

6/10

New Town Hall Clock Tower,

Munich, Germany
A 260-foot tower at the Gothic Revival New
Town Hall in Munich, Germany, is home to the
Rathaus Glockenspiel, which includes 43 bells
and 32 figures. Each day the figures on the top
portion tell the story of the wedding of Duke
Wilhelm V in the 16th century, while the
bottom section features coopers performing the
Schäfflertanz or coopers’ dance. The clock was
built in 1908 and the façade and bells were
repaired in 2006–07 ahead of the city’s 850th
birthday in 2008.

Photo: Getty Images

7/10

Makkah Royal Clock Tower,

Mecca, Saudi Arabia
Part of the Abraj Al-Bait complex in Mecca, the
Makkah Royal Clock Tower boasts the largest
clock faces in the world. The 1,972-foot tower
was completed in 2012 and is the third tallest
building in the world. The clock features
observation decks below the 141-foot-diameter
clock faces and is topped with an eight-story
spire containing a scientific center, observation
deck, and prayer center. Five times a day, the
clock issues a call to worship using 21,000 green
and white LED lights and speakers that can be
heard from over four miles away.

Photo: Getty Images/Mel Longhurst

8/10

Messina Bell Tower and

Astronomical Clock,
Messina, Italy
The clock tower at the Cathedral of Messina in
Sicily was designed by the Ungerer Company of
Strasbourg and completed in 1933. The
astronomical clock, one of the largest in the
world, features gilded bronze figures that
recreate events from the city’s history each day
at noon. The clock tower also displays the phase
of the moon, a perpetual calendar, and the
rotations of the solar system.

Photo: Getty Images/Wasin Pummarin

9/10

Bromo Seltzer Arts Tower,

Baltimore, Maryland
Originally known as the Emerson Tower, the
Bromo Seltzer Arts Tower in Baltimore was
designed by architect Joseph Evans Sperry and
was completed in 1911. The 15-floor tower,
which was built for Bromo Seltzer inventor
Isaac Edward Emerson, was inspired by
Florence’s Palazzo Vecchio. Instead of numbers,
the clock face displays the letters BROMO-
SELTZER. The tower is now home to studio
spaces for artists and writers.
Photo: Getty Images

10/10

Peace Tower, Ottawa,

Ontario, Canada
The Peace Tower is the centerpiece of the
Centre Block on Parliament Hill in Ottawa. The
tower, designed by Jean Omer Marchand and
John A. Pearson, and its 53-bell carillon were
inaugurated in 1927 in honor of Canadians who
lost their lives in World War I. The tower’s
original clock was a gift from the United
Kingdom to mark the 60th anniversary of the
Canadian Confederation. The master clock
cannot be turned back, so a government
employee must stop it for an hour at the end of
daylight saving time each year.