Sa'at Tower

Sa'at Tower also known as Tabriz Municipality Palace (Persian: کاخ شهرداری تبریز‎, also Romanized as Sā'at Tower) is building in Tabriz which is used as the city hall and main office of the municipal government of Tabriz, East Azarbaijan Province, Iran. Saat tower or Saat in brief, as it briefed by locals in Tabriz, is a building with a hall, a tower with clock, and a small garden in Southwestern side of the building. A circular pool with fountains is located in the middle of the garden.

Sa'at Tower
کاخ شهرداری تبریز
South-western side of Saat Tower, a view from pool and fountains.
General information
TypeMunicipality
Clock tower
LocationTabriz, Iran
Coordinates38°04′25″N 46°17′44″E
Completed1934
Design and construction
ArchitectAvedis Ohanjanian

History

The municipality building was designed by architect Avedis Ohanjanian, and built in 1934 as the Tabriz municipal central office and its city hall. Before World War II it was used by the Azerbaijan Democrat Party as the Government Office, where cabinet meeting used to be held in its main hall. When Iranian troops regained control of Tabriz in 1947, the building was again used as the Tabriz municipal central offices, a function which has continued up to early 2000s when it is used as municipal museum.

Current alterations

During the 1980s, in an attempt for installing an elevator, one of Saat's patios was damaged. The dome in top of the tower of Saat was reconstructed on 2008 with a new khaki colored fiber glass instead of the original silver colored dome. Since 2007, part of the building houses the Municipal Museum.

Museum of Municipality

In recent years parts of the building is reorganized as municipality museum of Tabriz. The museum includes historical maps of Tabriz, photos of new establishments and major constructions works in Tabriz, and golden key of Tabriz. There are also some of early vehicles, equipment, and machinery used in the city including: first movie projector, first taxi cars, and firefighting tracks. The major hall of the museum includes Tabriz municipality collection of Tabriz rugs.

  • Northern side of Saat Tower and municipality building from Saat square.
  • Former bell of Saat Tower which is damaged during Russian invasion of Tabriz during World War II. The bell later replaced by a new one.
  • Main hall of Saat tower, currently is being used as show place for rug collection of Tabriz municipality.
  • Interior of Saat tower, under the southern Ivan.
  • Golden key of Tabriz.
  • Some of the equipment presented in municipality museum.
  • Basement passage of municipality building.
  • Saat under construction, 1930s.
  • Western side of Municipality Building and Saat Tower, a view from municipality garden.

Ceremonies

Since Saat Tower is located in the center of the city, it has been used for various ceremonies and gatherings in the city. During 1947 it was used as the seat of the Azerbaijan Peoples' Government.

  • Iranian new year, at the beginning of every new Iranian Year (20 March), a big Haft-Sin is made behind Saat.
  • Earth hour, since 2014 Tabriz celebrate the earth hour by turning off the lights for Saat Tower.[1]

Etymology

Sa'at means "clock", which refers to the four face clock in top of the tower. Some calls the Saat building, Municipality Palace of Tabriz.

References
  1. "پایگاه اطلاع رسانی و فرهنگی شهریار". shahryarnews.net.

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