Historic Clock Tower gets its 'clock' back

Restoration work, which has been carried out by expert teams since 2021, has been completed on the tower located in the Kalekapısı area at the entrance to the historic Kaleiçi.

The clock mechanism and dials, prepared in accordance with the original design of the structure—which was built in the 9th century AD during the Byzantine era and converted into a clock tower during the reign of Abdul Hamid II—were installed in the tower with the help of a crane.

Cemil Karabayram, a conservation and restoration expert and official from the Antalya Governorship Cultural Heritage Unit, explained to reporters that the work on the tower began in 2021.

'3 MILLION 600 THOUSAND TL BUDGET SPENT'

Regarding claims that the clock in the tower had been stolen or lost, Karabayram stated, "This clock disappeared around the 1980s, but today, a twin of that clock, an equivalent made with the same character and the same original materials, has been brought and installed here.

The master of this craft, Recep Gürgen, personally took part in this project from start to finish as an artisan. A total budget of 3 million 600 thousand liras was spent on our project. Our clock tower was built under the supervision of the technical staff of the Antalya Regional Directorate of Foundations.

Civil engineers, architects, and technical staff from the Regional Directorate of Foundations were involved in all stages, from the base layer to the top layer, and from restoration to structural stability," he said.

News Source : AA