Clock Tower, Bitola

elevation / altitude

616 meters

distance

0.00 km from main square / Bitola

visiting Bitola Clock tower

Guided tour, individual

  about Bitola Clock tower

The clock tower is the pride of the people from Bitola.
According to the legends, even though the existence of the Clock Tower was mentioned before in the 1664 (17th century), present Clock Tower was built in the 1830’s, in the same period when nearby, the Orthodox Church of St. Demetrious was built.
The Bitola Clock Tower got its present appearance in the 19^th century, and is 30 meters high.
The entrance into the Clock Tower is on the north side of the tower, and it is encircled by big marble blocks. Approximately a hundred stairs leads to the clock, to its peak about 32meters high. On each of the stairs new information, new transformation begins. Those stairs lead to the top from where in the past the big metal bells sounded, indicating the precise time. In 1927, a new numbers and the first clock mechanism were placed, and some additional changes were made. The individuals in charge to ring the bells were replaced with sajzii which were in charge to take care of the clock and the clock mechanism. The first clock face was white with black numbers and hands, and it was smaller than the present one. This clock mechanism was changed in 1936, when 15 new bells, about 900 heavy ones, were placed there. They were a sign of gratitude for the building of the Memorial Cemetery of the German soldiers who died during the First World War.
In 1962, the mechanism was renewed, and in 1970 for the performance of new compositions, the piano was placed inside the tower. This Clock Tower is one of the 180 towers in the world which has built on this kind of mechanism. The music compositions make it even more unusual. Every six hours one of six compositions is played: Bitola Babam Bitola, Biljana platno belese etc.