Clock towers were both a need for the people and an iconic element in history. For this reason, it is possible to see remarkable and gorgeous clock towers all around the world, especially in the important and crowded centers. Here is a list of famous clock towers all around the world.
Big Ben, London, England
Big Ben is the nickname for the Great Bell of the striking clock at the north end of the Palace of Westminster in London, England. It was completed in 1858. It is also known as Elizabeth Tower because it was renamed Elizabeth Tower in 2012, to mark the Diamond Jubilee of Elizabeth II.
Leaning Clock Tower, Tbilisi, Georgia
One of old Tbilisi’s most emblematic structures is also one of its newest, a higgledy-piggledy clock tower, built by puppet master Rezo Gabriadze during a renovation of his theatre in 2010. On the hour an angel pops out of a door near the top and strikes the bell outside with a hammer.
St. Mark’s Clock Tower
The astronomical Clock in St Mark’s, Venice, is a marvel of 15th-century engineering. It was designed by Maurizio Codussi and built beginning in 1496. The clock displays the time, the phase of the moon, and the dominant sign of the Zodiac. Venetian legend holds that when the clock was revealed on February 1, 1499, it was so beautiful that the doge had the clockmaker blinded so that he could not create another to rival it.
Philadelphia City Hall, Philadelphia, United States
Philadelphia City Hall was the tallest building in the world from the day it was opened in 1901 till 1908. It has four clocks which each is 8 meters and its height is 167 meters.
Makkah Royal Clock Tower Hotel, Mecca, Saudi Arabia
It’s the tallest clock tower in the world and the world’s largest clock face. Each of the four clocks (on four sides) is 43 × 43 meters. Makkah Royal Clock Tower is also one of the tallest buildings in the world with its 601 meters height.
The Prague Astronomical Clock, Prague, Czech Republic
The Prague astronomical clock is one of the oldest clock towers in the world. It was constructed in 1410 and it has been one of the most important figures of Prague till the present.
Rathaus-Glockenspiel, Munich, Germany
Rathaus-Glockenspiel was built in 1908 as part of the New Town Hall in Munich. Every day, at 11:00 sharp, and during the summer also at 12:00 and 17:00, it comes to life and re-enacts two stories from the 16th century. The whole show lasts somewhere between 12 and 15 minutes long depending on which tune it plays that day. At the very end of the show, a very small golden rooster at the top of the Glockenspiel chirps quietly three times, marking the end of the spectacle.
Spasskaya Tower, Moscow, Russia
Spasskaya Tower, also known as Saviour Tower, was designed in 1491 and it is a part of the Kremlin, located in the Red Square. Its height is 71 meters.
The Zytglogge Tower, Bern, Switzerland
The Zytglogge Clock Tower has served in many different ways like a guard tower, a prison, a clock tower, and as a memorial since the day it was built in the 13th century. The clock on the building is an astronomical clock from the 15th century.
The Peace Tower, Ottawa, Canada
The Peace Tower, also known as the Tower of Victory and Peace, was replaced Victoria Tower after the latter burned down in 1916. It stands in the middle of the Centre Block – the main building structure of the Canadian parliament complex, in Ottawa. Its height is 92.2 meters.
Joseph Chamberlain Memorial Clock Tower, Birmingham, United Kingdom
Joseph Chamberlain Memorial Clock Tower, also known as Old Joe, is the tallest freestanding clock tower in the world, at 100 meters. It is located in Chancellor’s court at the University of Birmingham.
Rajabai Clock Tower, Mumbai, India
Rajabai Clock Tower was built in 1878. It is located within the campus of the University of Mumbai and it has 85 meters high.
The first public clock in Paris, built by the German engineer Henri le Vic in 1370 and installed in one of the towers of the Conciergerie
