Clock Tower

About this place

The Clock Tower, or Sahat Kulla, is a tall Ottoman tower in the old quarter of Pristina, 26 m high. It has become a symbol of the city and stands among some of its oldest landmarks, including the Sultan Mehmed Fatih Mosque and the Ethnological Museum. It does not need a long visit, but it makes a good marker to start a walk around the historic quarter. The tower was built in the 19th century, around the time the local leader Jashar Pasha raised his nearby mosque, according to Wikivoyage. It told the townspeople the time, letting them know the hours of prayer and when shops closed. Pristina was then an active Ottoman town, and from 1883 to 1897 it was the capital of the Kosovo Vilayet. You see a tall shaft of pale stone rising among trees, topped by a section of red brick with arches, clock faces in black and white on each side and a small pointed roof above. The best angle for a photo is from the nearby square, where it appears between branches or through a nearby gate. It stands in central Pristina, a few minutes' walk from the Imperial Mosque and the Ethnological Museum, so make it part of a single walk. We do not know of any way to climb it, so enjoy it from outside. The light is finest in the morning and late in the day. Watch for traffic, and keep clear of any large gatherings.