10 Most Famous Clock Towers in the World

A great clock tower keeps more than time. From Big Ben’s chimes to the astronomical clock in Prague, these towers have become the faces of the cities they stand in. Here are ten of the most famous clock towers in the world.

1. Big Ben (Elizabeth Tower), London, England

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Officially called the Elizabeth Tower since 2012, Big Ben is really the nickname of the great bell inside the clock tower at the Palace of Westminster. Completed in 1858, it houses one of the largest four-faced chiming clocks in the world, and after a long restoration the clock and its chimes returned to full service in 2022. It is by far the most famous landmark in London and one of the most famous monuments in Europe.

2. Philadelphia City Hall, Philadelphia, United States

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Philadelphia City Hall was the tallest habitable building in the world until 1908, rising 167 m (548 ft). Its tower carries four clock faces, one on each side, each 8 m (26 ft) across.

3. Makkah Royal Clock Tower, Mecca, Saudi Arabia

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At 601 m (1,972 ft), the Makkah Royal Clock Tower, part of the Abraj Al-Bait complex overlooking the Grand Mosque, is one of the tallest buildings in the world. It carries the tallest clock tower and the largest clock face anywhere, each of its four faces measuring 43 by 43 m (141 by 141 ft).

4. The Prague Astronomical Clock, Prague, Czech Republic

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The astronomical clock is the centrepiece of Prague’s Old Town Square. Crowds gather on the hour to watch its procession of moving figures. First installed in 1410, it is the oldest astronomical clock still in operation anywhere in the world.

5. Rathaus-Glockenspiel, Munich, Germany

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Built in 1908 as part of Munich’s New Town Hall, the Rathaus-Glockenspiel springs to life every day at 11am, and also at noon and 5pm in summer, re-enacting two stories from the 16th century. With 43 bells and 32 life-sized figures, the show lasts around 12 to 15 minutes and always draws a crowd.

6. The Saviour Tower (Spasskaya Tower), Moscow, Russia

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The Saviour Tower stands on Red Square, beside Saint Basil’s Cathedral, as part of the Kremlin walls. The tower was built in 1491 and has carried a clock since the 17th century. Together with the Kremlin and the cathedral it forms the heart of Moscow’s best attractions.

7. The Zytglogge, Bern, Switzerland

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This medieval tower in Bern was built in the 13th century and has served as a guard tower, a prison and a clock tower. The astronomical clock on its face dates from the 15th century. A UNESCO World Heritage site, it is perhaps the most popular attraction in Bern.

8. The Peace Tower, Ottawa, Canada

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Formally the Tower of Victory and Peace, this 92.2 m (302 ft) clock tower rises from the centre of the Canadian Parliament’s Centre Block in Ottawa. Completed in 1927, it replaced the 55 m Victoria Tower, which had burned down in 1916.

9. Old Joe, University of Birmingham, United Kingdom

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Old Joe, properly the Joseph Chamberlain Memorial Clock Tower at the University of Birmingham, is the tallest free-standing clock tower built purely as a clock tower, at about 100 m (328 ft). It was completed in 1908 in memory of Joseph Chamberlain, the university’s first Chancellor.

10. Rajabai Clock Tower, Mumbai, India

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This 85 m (280 ft) clock tower stands on the campus of the University of Mumbai. Designed by the English architect Sir George Gilbert Scott and completed in 1878, it was modelled in part on Big Ben.