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Most famous clock towers around the world.

Although people admire clock towers for their aesthetics today,

they once served a very important purpose.

This was because only rich people had watches or clocks in the past

while the rest relied on clock towers to check the time

and organize their days accordingly.

Many early examples of clock towers were built just as bell towers

with a bell ringing on the hour.

Gradually, however, they added clock faces into the towers

so that people could see the time whenever they needed to.

Now, clock towers are a common sight in many parts of the world.

And some of them are iconic buildings.

Here are five of those magnificent structures.

One, Big Ben, the Elizabeth Tower.

Its official name is the Elizabeth Tower.

It was completed in 1859.

The tower holds the biggest four -faced chiming clock in the world.

The main bell, Big Ben, is the largest of the tower's five bells

and gives the tower its nickname, Big Ben.

It is the most famous landmark in London,

and one of the most famous structures in Europe.

As one of the world's most iconic tourist attractions,

the tower is an essential part of a typical sightseeing tour in London.

The tower has no lift, so one must climb the 334 limestone stairs to the top.

Two, Philadelphia City Hall.

Philadelphia City Hall held the title of the tallest building in the world

from 1901 to 1908 with a height of 167 meters.

They put the clock at midnight on December 31, 1898.

The clock tower of Philadelphia City Hall is now one of the best -known ones in the USA.

This famous clock tower has four clocks, one on each of its sides.

Each of the clocks is eight meters in diameter.

Travelers depend on the clock when rushing to the trains,

and residents look at the direction of City Hall to adjust their home clocks.

Three, the Prague Astronomical Clock.

The Prague Astronomical Clock, commonly known as the Oriloges,

is a medieval astronomical clock located in Prague, the capital of the Czech Republic.

It's the main feature of the famous Old Town Square in Prague.

Many tourists come to the square and wait for an hour

just to watch the moving figures of the beautiful clock.

It was built in 1410, and it's one of the oldest astronomical clocks in the world,

and the oldest ones still in use.

On 9 October 2010, people celebrated the Oriloges 600th anniversary

with a light show on the face of the clock tower.

Four, Rathaus Glockenspiel.

This famous tourist attraction dates back to 1908.

Rathaus Glockenspiel is one of the most beautiful buildings in Munich, Germany.

Every day at 11 a .m. and 12 p .m. and during the spring and summer at 5 p .m. 2,

it comes to life and tells two traditional stories from the 16th century

for tourists and locals.

The area in front of the building is always full of visitors to enjoy the show.

It has 43 bells and 32 life -sized figures.

The whole show lasts for 12 to 15 minutes.

At the end of the show, a very small golden rooster at the top of the Glockenspiel

appears.

This means it's the end of the show.

Five, the Zeitglüger.

This beautiful medieval tower in the heart of Bern, Switzerland is from the 13th century,

and since then, it has served as a guard tower, a prison, a clock tower, and a memorial.

The clock we see today is an astronomical clock from the 15th century.

It's a UNESCO heritage site and the most popular tourist attraction of the city.