The Clock Tower in Skopje [Saat Kula]

A historic monument in downtown Skopje

Like all Islamic countries, architecture was the most advanced segment of the culture and art of the Ottoman Empire as well. The Sultan's Court and the Vakaf institution were the major performers of the architectural activity of building both sacred and public objects.

After the Turkish conquest of Skopje in 1392, the construction of these buildings became more intensive, as the Turks introduced their own cultural and living traditions.

The Saat Kula (Clock Tower) is among the numerous objects erected in Skopje in the Ottoman period. It is located in the complex of Islamic monuments next to the first sacred building in Skopje, the Sultan Murat Mosque. The construction of these buildings in the Ottoman Empire began in the second half of the 16th century. Older sources report that the Tower was the first object of its kind in Turkey at that time.

The Clock Tower was erected between 1566 and 1572, most probably on the foundations of an already existing building. Initially, the upper part of the Tower was made of wood and the clock mechanism was brought from the city of Siget in Hungary. Travel writers of the 16th and 17th centuries noted that the Turks even brought a clock-master from Siget for the clock's maintenance. This was of great importance for the accurate performance of the five daily prayers.

A new top (made of Thessaloniki bricks) replaced the original wooden top of the clock in 1902-3, during the reign of Ali-Hivza Pasha. In addition, the clock mechanism was replaced with a new one, this time brought from Switzerland.

The Tower is a rarity also because of its architectonic features, which make it unique in the region. Clock towers in our country and in Former Yugoslavia were normally built on a square foundation with a rooftop on four waters, whereas the Clock Tower in Skopje was erected on a hexagonal foundation and has a different rooftop which resembles the numerous lateral domes of the new Moscow style of the Russian medieval architecture. This element had been previously employed by Mongolians.

The Macedonian Islamic Community intends to revitalise this rare cultural monument of architectural and historical significance.

Dragica Zivkova (The Hilвl)