Big Ban

Built (reconstruction from 2017 to April 2022) Start of construction September 28, 1843

Opening date

May 31, 1859 (start of clock)

Objects Palace of Westminster. Height 96 m. Design Augustus Pugin are Charles Barry

Big Ben is a popular tourist name for the clock tower of the Palace of Westminster. The official name of the
tower since 2012 is the Elizabeth Tower, or the Elizabeth Tower, it is one of the most recognizable symbols of
Great Britain, often used in souvenirs, advertising, and films.

Initially, “Big Ben” was the name of the largest of the five bells, but often this name is broadly applied to
both the clock and the clock tower as a whole[3]. At the time of casting, Big Ben, which weighed 13.7 tons,
was the largest and heaviest bell in the United Kingdom. In 1881, it gave way to the Big Paul bell (17 tons).

From August 2017 to April 2022, the tower was undergoing global reconstruction. The dials, along with the
hour hands, were repainted bright blue after restoration.