Büyük Saat

Hikayemiz

Büyük Saat is a historical clock tower in Adana and the tallest clock tower in Turkey, rising 32m high. It is located in the old town on Ali Münif Caddesi.HistoryThe 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 had a significant contribution to the construction. Since then, it stands as one of the major landmarks of the city.Büyük Saat was damaged during French occupation and had renovated in 1935.ArchitectureBüyük Saat was constructed as a square prism and tower walls were built by bricks. The tower has a height of 32m, but the depth of the foundation is thought to be even longer. Foundation is said to be 35m deep. There were rumors that the water that springs from the foundation was very healing.During the period of its construction, there were also clock towers built in the other large cities of the Ottoman Empire. Büyük Saat was the highest among them, second highest being the Dolmabahçe Clock Tower in İstanbul.FunctionThe construction made the residents' life easier. Every hour, the loud bell of the tower would ring, which could be heard from most sections of the city. After the construction of the tower, the city officials arranged their office hours by Büyük Saat. Islamic praying times were also set by Büyük Saat which used to be done by the position of the sun before.