Tirana’s Clock Tower Restored

TIRANA, March 18 – Tirana’s Clock Tower, a symbol of the capital and one of its oldest buildings, has been restored under a special USD 30,000 fund awarded by the US Ambassador to Albania, John Withers, the Municipality of Tirana said in a statement.
The 19-century Clock Tower which has had its clock mechanism and bell repaired, was inaugurated in a ceremony attended by Tirana Mayor Edi Rama and Ambassador Withers.
“This restoration, which returns its first shine to the Clock Tower, through a joint contribution of people and institutions, is both a symbolic and nice moment,” said Rama, thanking Ambassador Withers and Fuat Haxhiymeri, a local businessman who contributed to the Clock Tower’s restoration.
Rama said the Clock Tower in Tirana was the only one in Albania which was not built by a rich family but as a contribution of a number of merchants.
Meanwhile, Ambassador Withers said he was proud to have sponsored USD 30,000 for the Clock Tower’s restoration, appreciating the cooperation with the Municipality of Tirana and all specialists who assisted in the design of the project and co-financed it. He wished the clock would be a good omen bringing luck to all Albanians, saying that he had been told that a clock donated for a child’s birth brings luck.
Built in 1822, the 35-metre Clock Tower has 90 spiral steps and was the tallest building in the capital until 1970. The Tower is located in the heart of the capital next to the Et’hem Beu Mosque. Its clock has been replaced several times most recently in 1970 with a Chinese one. The Clock Tower has been open to tourists since 1996.