Izmir Clock Tower Saat kulesi clock tower located
- Slides: 7
Izmir Clock Tower
• Saat kulesi ( clock tower ) located at Konak Square and has become the symbol of the city. • It was built by architect Raymond Charles Pere in 1901 to commemorate 25 th year of enthronement of Ottomon Sultan Abdulhamit I. • Some parts of construction expenses was provided by the people of Izmir and the rest the governor of Izmir. • Green and red mosaics that are used in the construction of clock tower came from Efes and stones that are made up the main body came from Sarayköy. • It was damaged in a severe earthquake in 1928 and 1974 but it had been repaired in a short time.
• The clock mechanism was a gift from German Kaiser Wilhelm II (reigned 1888– 1918) and never broke in over 100 years • The tower has carving of a crescent moon and star on its four sides. The tower rests on a circular, base and the platform where the tower is based is lowered from the rest of the area. It has palm trees on north and south directions of the structure. The tower is provided with 12 water taps, 3 in each direction. • It is decorated in an elaborate Ottoman architecture. The tower, at a height of 25 m (82 ft), features four fountains, which are placed around the base in a circular pattern, and the columns are inspired by North African themes. The clock tower consist of four levels on an octagonal plan.
• In the narrow edge of octoganol platform, there are four water fountain that sits four small coloumns. • Horseshoe arches, it has three fountains in the middle of the fountain and font. Today one of two fountains are disseapered. Over baldachines cover kingdom of the canopy. There are round scalloped fringe on fountains and elevation. The platform and the tower built of marble and other sections cut stone.
• It also has a colonnaded porch on an octagonal base and on the corners beveled square prism housing rises. Elegant cap, small pedestal columns are connected to each other with three-lobed arches. In the gallery and fountain’s pink and green columns and in the corner floral decorations is located. • In the four corners of the body, which opened in the middle of the horseshoe-arched niches small balcony image elements are observed. On top of that, in the east and west direction an Ottoman coat of arms, in the North and the South direction, Sultan Mehmet II. Abdulhamid's monogram is built as a relief.
• With clock tower, public square, Ottomon Empire’s modernization in Izmir is completed and this venue is a very commonly used in the social sphere and becoming hearth of the city. Naturally, monumental tower sits in a prominent place among the public buildings and become a instrument used in people’s daily lives.
Referenses • http: //www. izmir. bel. tr/Izmir. Saat. Kulesi/222/194/tr • http: //www. kulturelbellek. com/izmir-saat-kulesi-veozellikleri/
