Saat Kulesi
The Saat Kulesi (Clock Tower) of Antalya can be found in the city center. It is a part of the historical city wall. The exact year of construction is not known, but it is believed to have been built during the reign of Abdulhamid II in the 19th century.
Today's surroundings of the Saat Kulesi
If you want to explore the old town of Antalya, the Saat Kulesi is the perfect starting point. It was part of the fortification at the old main gate of Antalya together with another tower. When it was built, the Saat Kulesi did not have a clock and was therefore probably called something else.
Right next to the tower, the city has placed some benches that tourists and locals like to use for a break. Especially the youth of Antalya meets here in the evening. You can find the clock tower on a city map of Antalya on the Cumhuriyet Cadessi height Kazim Özalp Cadessi above the harbour. The Saat Kulesi is the most popular sight in Antalya along with the almost adjacent Yivil Minare.
Description and history of the tower
The bell tower rises on the relatively strong square city wall and has a square shape itself. There is a large pointed arch window at the top center, and small windows can be seen on the sides. The Saat Kulesi is covered with a dendane roof, which replaced an earlier dome that can still be seen in pictures from the 1940s.
The clocks of the Saat Kulesi now operate electronically, and the bell still remains from the old clockwork. On it are reliefs of Jesus on the cross, the Virgin Mary and Greek scriptures. If the tower was built under Sultan Abdulhamid II, the construction period would be the late 19th century. The sultan was born in 1842.
