Tophane Clock Tower is built by the Ottoman Sultan II in Bursa. The historical clock tower, is rumored to have been built in honor of the 29th anniversary of Abdulhamid’s accession to the throne.
It is an important monumental work reflecting the architecture of the Ottoman period. It is located in Tophane Park, behind the tombs of Osman Gazi, the founder of the Empire, and Orhan Gazi, its second sultan, in Tophane Square, formerly known as Osmaniye Square. It was also used as a fire tower due to the panoramic view of Bursa from where it is located.
A clock tower was first built in the same place during the reign of Sultan Abdülaziz, but it was demolished at an unknown date until the 1900s. The construction of the current tower started on August 2, 1904, and was completed on August 31, 1905, during World War II. It was put into service with a ceremony by Governor Reşit Mümtaz Pasha, in honor of Abdulhamid’s accession to the throne.
The tower has 6 floors, is 65 meters long and 4.65 meters wide. It is planned to have 4 clocks on top, facing all directions. The tower, which has an entrance in the south, is reached by a wooden staircase of 89 steps. There are round clocks with a diameter of 90 centimeters on all four sides of the upper floor of the tower.
Today, it has an electronic clock and is also used by Bursa Metropolitan Municipality for fire surveillance purposes.
