Bab al-Faraj Clock Tower

Bab al-Faraj Clock Tower
برج ساعة باب الفرج
Bab al-Faraj Clock Tower
Map
Alternative namesBab al-Faradis
General information
TypeClock tower
Architectural styleOttoman architecture
Town or cityAleppo
CountrySyria Syria
Construction started1898; 126 years ago (1898)
Completed1899; 125 years ago (1899)
Height28 metres (92 ft)
Design and construction
Architect(s)Charles Chartier
EngineerBakr Sidqi

Bab al-Faraj Clock Tower (Arabic: برج ساعة باب الفرج) is one of the main landmarks of Aleppo, Syria. It was built in 1898-1899 by the French[1] architect of Aleppo city Charles Chartier with the help of the Syrian engineer Bakr Sidqi, under the Ottoman ruler of Aleppo; wāli Raif Pasha.[1][2]

It is located near the historical gate of Bab al-Faraj, adjacent to the building of the National library.[3] Its construction was encouraged by Sultan Abdul Hamid II in order to mark the modern era of timeliness.[4]

The tower was inaugurated in 1900 on the occasion of the 25th anniversary of the Sultan's accession to the throne.[1]

The construction of the tower cost a sum of 1,500 Ottoman lira.[1] Half of the cost was collected through donations while the other half was paid by the municipality.

Bab al-Faraj Clock Tower in 2009

The design of the tower resembles the old Islamic minarets with four similar façades, topped with traditional oriental muqarnas.[1]

  1. ^ a b c d e Klaus Kreiser. "How a public fountain house became a clock tower". Gerda Henkel Stiftung. Retrieved 4 December 2021.
  2. ^ Bab al-Faraj Clock Tower
  3. ^ eAleppo Bab Al-Faraj tower (in Arabic)
  4. ^ Burns, Ross (2013). Aleppo, A History. Routledge. pp. 260–262. ISBN 9780415737210.