Izmir Clock Tower is located in Izmir by the Ottoman Sultan II. The 25th anniversary of Abdulhamid’s accession to the throne. it is a historic clock tower built in 1901 to celebrate the anniversary.
It is located in the area between Izmir Government Mansion, Kemeraltı Bazaar entrance, Konak Yalı Mosque and Izmir Metropolitan Municipality building on Konak Square Dec. the tower, which is 25 meters high and has four floors, is designed by Sultan II. According to the will of Abdulhamid, it is one of the many clock towers built in the Ottoman provinces during the same period. However, due to its original architecture and the method followed in Deconstruction, it has gained a special place among other clock towers.[1] It is considered to be the most aesthetically pleasing and the most elegant among the Ottoman clock towers.
The clock of the tower, designed by the French architect Raymond Charles Péré, was designed by the German Emperor II. There are records that it was given as a gift by Wilhelm.
Historical
Izmir Clock Tower and Konak Square
The 25th anniversary of Sultan Abdulhamid’s accession to the throne. in 1900, the anniversary of Julius, great celebrations were being organized throughout the Empire for the anniversary and efforts were being made to create permanent works commemorating the day. During this process, the Governor of Izmir of the period Kamil Pasha held a meeting with local administrators, civil and military administrators, civil servants and dignitaries of the city on August 1, 1900, and it was decided at this meeting to build a clock with a fountain near the Yellow Barracks.
The construction commission established to carry out the construction found the design of the Clock Tower with Fountain prepared by the French architect Raymond Charles Péré in the style of Arabic architecture appropriate. The groundbreaking ceremony was held on September 1, 1900 on Abdulhamid’s 24th birthday. it was held during the celebrations of the anniversary of Culus. The construction of the tower was completed in August 1901 with its general outlines. It was decided that other deficiencies, including the procurement of watches, would be completed after the ceremony, and the opening was held on Abdulhamid’s 25th anniversary. it was held on September 1, 1901, the anniversary of the jubilee.
The clock was designed by the German Emperor of the period II. There are some records that it was given as a gift by Wilhelm due to the Ottoman-German closeness.
On the tower II. Various symbols had been placed in order to reflect Abdulhamid’s power. Just below the clocks, there were tuğra on both sides and the Ottoman coat of arms on both sides. After the adoption of the law on the abolition of inscriptions, signs and symbols reminding and praising the Ottomans to the Republican era, coats of arms and tugs were engraved and the moon and star were made in their place.
The tower was damaged during the 5.2 magnitude 1974 Izmir earthquake. In this earthquake, the top floor on the clock dials collapsed and the clock stopped at 02:04, the time of occurrence of the earthquake.Within two years, the tower was repaired and the clock was put back into operation. The clock was in operation until 2016.
During the actions aimed at “protecting democracy” organized after the 2016 Turkish military coup attempt, the clock tower was damaged on the morning of July 16, 2016, clocks and fountains were stolen.[The teenager born in 1999 who stole the watch was caught a week after the incident.February September 2019 between the dates of renovation and Deconstruction works were carried out in the tower.
