Büyük Saat

Büyük Saat
General information
Type Clock tower
Architectural style Ottoman Neo-baroque
Location Adana, Turkey Turkey
Address Alimünif Caddesi
Coordinates 36°59′02″N 35°19′49″E / 36.98386°N 35.33020°E / 36.98386; 35.33020Coordinates: 36°59′02″N 35°19′49″E / 36.98386°N 35.33020°E / 36.98386; 35.33020
Construction started 1881
Completed 1882
Renovated 1935
Height 32 m (105 ft)
Design and construction
Architect Krikor Agha Bzdikian, Kasbar Agha Bzdikian

Büyük Saat (English: The Great Clock Tower) is a historical clock tower in Adana and the tallest clock tower in Turkey, rising 32 m (105 ft) high. It is located in the old town on Ali Münif Caddesi.[1] It was designed by Armenian architects Krikor Agha Bzdikian and Kasbar Agha Bzdikian.

History

The construction of Büyük Saat was started in 1879 by the governor Ziya Pasha and it was completed by the succeeding governor Abidin Pasha in 1882, as a symbol of modernization. The two Armenian architects, Krikor Agha Bzdikian and Kasbar Agha Bzdikian, were responsible for its design. Mayor Hacı Yunus also made a significant contribution to the construction. It has since stood as one of the major landmarks of the city.

Büyük Saat was damaged during the French occupation in 1918-21, and was renovated in 1935.

Architecture

World Rakı Festival at Büyüksaat

Büyük Saat was constructed as a square prism, and its tower walls were built with bricks.[2] The tower has a height of 32 m (105 ft), but the depth of the foundations is thought to be even deeper, at 35 m (115 ft). There were rumors that the water that springs from the foundations had healing powers.

During the period of its construction, similar clock towers were also built in the other large cities of the Ottoman Empire. Büyük Saat was the highest of them all, the second-highest being the Dolmabahçe Clock Tower in Istanbul.

Function

The construction of the Büyük Saat made the residents' life easier by improving their timekeeping. Every hour, the loud bell of the tower, which could be heard from most sections of the city, would ring. After the construction of the tower, the city's officials arranged their office hours according to the time given by Büyük Saat. The times for Islamic prayer, previously defined by the position of the sun, were also now set by Büyük Saat.

The major issue with Büyük Saat today is the lack of pedestrian areas at its base. The tower is in the middle of a busy street which makes visitor access difficult. The Adana Metropolitan Municipality have plans to widen sidewalks of Ali Münif Caddesi and re-route some of the local traffic to another street to improve the situation.

See also

Notes

  1. ↑ "A look into Adana's history by Incirlik Air Base".
  2. ↑ "Cultural Affairs of the Governorship of Adana".
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