Manara Clock Tower

The Manara Clock Tower or al-Manura clock tower[1] is a clock tower located in the middle of the central square (casbah) in the Old City of Nablus next to the An-Nasr Mosque in the Palestinian territories.[2]

The clock tower, 2008

Five stories high, it was erected in 1906 on the orders of the Ottoman sultan Abdul Hamid II to celebrate 30 years of his reign.[2][3] The tower is similar to those also built by Sultan Abdul Hamid in Tripoli (today in Lebanon) and Jaffa.[2] The Manara Clock Tower has an ode to the sultan in elaborate Arabic calligraphy.[4]

The Manara Clock Tower is currently the symbol of the Municipality of Nablus, established as such after the Palestinian political party Hamas won the 2006 local elections in that city.[5]

References

  1. Guide, Nablus. "Nablus Today". Archived from the original on 2 January 2014. Retrieved 2 January 2014.
  2. Semplici, Andrea and Boccia, Mario. - Nablus, At the Foot of the Holy Mountain Archived 2017-07-08 at the Wayback Machine Med Cooperation, p.17.
  3. Seven clock towers were built in the Land of Israel Archived 2004-10-19 at the Wayback Machine L.A. Mayer Museum for Islamic Art - Jerusalem, 2004.
  4. La Guardia, 2002, p.315.
  5. Barnard, Anne. Hamas campaign throws politics into confusion, Palestinians and Israelis unsure if it is moderating, Globe Newspaper Company. 17 January 2006.

Bibliography

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