Overview
The Makkah Clock Tower is a prominent landmark in Makkah, within the Makkah Region; it is topped by the largest clock in the world and counts as the highest prayer room in the world. [1]
The tower stands within the Clock Towers complex adjoining the Grand Mosque, and the Clock Towers belong to the King Abdulaziz Endowment in Makkah. [2][3]
The Makkah Clock
The Makkah Clock is the largest clock in the world and can be seen from a distance of 8 kilometres. [1]
The crescent crowning the tower is estimated at 23 metres in diameter and 107 tonnes in weight, while the minute hand measures 23 metres and the hour hand 18 metres. [1]
Each hand weighs 6 tonnes, the clock faces are made up of 98 million pieces of glass mosaic, and each motor on every face weighs 21 tonnes. [1]
The Clock Towers Complex
The Clock Towers complex comprises eight buildings: six hotels, the central cooling plant building, and the main clock tower. [4]
The International Museum of the Prophet's Biography and Islamic Civilization
The Clock Tower houses the International Museum of the Prophet's Biography and Islamic Civilization, which includes more than 30 sections presenting 200 interactive displays in seven languages, using modern digital technologies to present the Prophet's biography, his morals and his law, under the supervision of the Muslim World League. [1]
The Clock Tower Museum is located on the terrace of the tower adjoining the Grand Mosque. [2]
The Makkah Observatory
The Makkah Observatory moved to the Clock Tower, becoming one of the most prominent specialised astronomical observatories in the Islamic world. [5]
History
In 1352 AH, corresponding to 1933 CE, King Abdulaziz ordered the installation of a large clock in the Grand Mosque, the first Makkah clock. [6]
Parts of the first Makkah clock are today preserved in the Exhibition of the Architecture of the Two Holy Mosques. [6]
Services and Facilities
The helipad of the Clock Tower Endowment is used for air ambulance services and for transferring cases from the area around the Grand Mosque. [7]
The Clock Towers centre hosts the largest barbershop in the world, with 170 chairs, designed and operated to international standards to offer an integrated and fast experience for the Guests of God among pilgrims and Umrah performers. [8]
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: What are the most notable features of the Makkah Clock Tower? A: It carries the largest clock in the world and counts as the highest prayer room in the world. [1]
Q: From what distance can the Makkah Clock be seen? A: From a distance of 8 kilometres. [1]
Q: What are the dimensions of the tower's crescent and its hands? A: The crescent is 23 metres in diameter and 107 tonnes in weight, the minute hand is 23 metres long and the hour hand 18 metres. [1]
Q: What does the International Museum of the Prophet's Biography and Islamic Civilization in the tower include? A: More than 30 sections presenting 200 interactive displays in seven languages, under the supervision of the Muslim World League. [1]
Q: When was the first clock installed in the Grand Mosque? A: King Abdulaziz ordered its installation in 1352 AH, corresponding to 1933 CE. [6]
Related topics
- RegionMakkah CityMakkah City is a Saudi city in the west of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, home to the Grand Mosque and the qibla of Muslims, with a history of more than four thousand years. The city and the Holy Sites are seeing continuous development to raise the standard of services provided to pilgrims and Umrah performers under Saudi Vision 2030.
- RegionMakkah RegionA western Saudi region administered from Makkah, encompassing Jeddah, Taif and other governorates, where pilgrimage, maritime trade, coastal landscapes and uplands meet.
- HistoricExhibition of the Architecture of the Two Holy MosquesThe Exhibition of the Architecture of the Two Holy Mosques is a permanent exhibition in Makkah established by the General Presidency for the Affairs of the Grand Mosque and the Prophet's Mosque in 1420 AH, displaying the collections of the Two Holy Mosques, their architectural elements and rare photographs that tell the story of their architecture across the ages. It is built on an area of 1,200 square metres and consists of seven halls containing two models of the Two Holy Mosques and a collection of Qurans, manuscripts, artefacts and dated collections.
Sources & references
- Saudi Press Agency (SPA): "The Clock Tower is the largest clock in the world and the highest prayer room"
- Saudi Press Agency (SPA): "The Clock Tower Museum"
- Saudi Press Agency (SPA): "The Clock Towers of the King Abdulaziz Endowment"
- Saudi Press Agency (SPA): "The Clock Towers Complex"
- Saudi Press Agency (SPA): "The Makkah Observatory at the Clock Tower"
- Saudi Press Agency (SPA): "The First Makkah Clock in the Grand Mosque"
- Saudi Press Agency (SPA): "The Helipad of the Clock Tower Endowment"
- Saudi Press Agency (SPA): "The Largest Barbershop in the World at the Clock Towers Centre"