Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters
Loading...
Loading...
Loading...
Loading...

No search results found for
“”

Make sure words are spelled correctly.

Try searching for a travel destination.

Places near me Random place

Popular Destinations

  • Paris
  • London
  • New York
  • Berlin
  • Rome
  • Los Angeles
Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters
Sign In Join
Places near me Random place
All Bosnia and Herzegovina Sarajevo Old Sarajevo Clock Tower

Old Sarajevo Clock Tower

This historic timepiece is thought to be the only public clock in the world that keeps lunar time.

Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina

Added By
Aaron Austin-Glen
Email
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list
Old Sarajevo Clock Tower   aaronaustinglen / Atlas Obscura User
Old Sarajevo Clock Tower   aaronaustinglen / Atlas Obscura User
Old Sarajevo Clock Tower   aaronaustinglen / Atlas Obscura User
Old Sarajevo Clock Tower   aaronaustinglen / Atlas Obscura User
Old Sarajevo Clock Tower   aaronaustinglen / Atlas Obscura User
  Collector of Experiences / Atlas Obscura User
  Jaszmina Szendrey / Atlas Obscura User
February 2023   DMStephenson / Atlas Obscura User
Old clock tower  
Sahat Kula   vasilisapremudra / Atlas Obscura User
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list

About

Located in the historic old town section of Sarajevo, the Old Clock Tower is not only one of the largest in all of Bosnia and Herzegovina, but it is also believed to be the only clock tower in the world that keeps lunar time making it always seem like it is broken.

Dating back to the 16th-century and towering next to the Gazi Husrev-beg Mosque in the center of the city, the old Sarajevo clock tower is one of the tallest in Bosnia and Herzegovina. The current clockwork mechanism was installed in the late 1800's being imported from the London watchmaking firm Gillett & Johnson, because of this it has sometimes been referred to as "Little Ben". The arcane machinery does not follow the standard time, but instead marks time based on the movement of the sun and moon so that the locals can time their prayers, thus the clock strikes midnight a sunset in the town. The delicate astronomical measurements required to keep time with the turning of celestial bodies requires that the clock be calibrated every three days or so. This responsibility has fallen to a single clock keeper who has reset the gilded clock hands right on schedule since the 1960's. He is honored by the task, considering it a holy calling. 

Since the original religious purpose behind the lunar timepiece has long since had its meaning obscured, most tourists simple think the four sides of the clock tower are keeping bad time, and even many locals are unaware of the significance of the strange timepiece, yet like the inexorable turning of the sun and moon, it is unfailingly reset despite what people think. 

Related Tags

Clocks

Know Before You Go

Situated next to Gazi Husrev-beg Mosque in the centre of Bašćaršija, Sarajevo.

Atlas Obscura Adventures

Balkans Road Trip: Serbia, Croatia & Bosnia and Herzegovina

Traverse the beauty and history of the Balkans through locals' stories.

Book Now

Community Contributors

Added By

aaronaustinglen

Edited By

Jaszmina Szendrey, hrnick, Collector of Experiences, vasilisapremudra...

  • Jaszmina Szendrey
  • hrnick
  • Collector of Experiences
  • vasilisapremudra
  • stevensbecca
  • DMStephenson

Published

September 3, 2013

Edit this listing

Make an Edit
Add Photos
Sources
  • https://bs.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sarajevska_sahat-kula
  • http://sarajevo.travel/en/things-to-do/sarajevos-old-clock-tower/181
Old Sarajevo Clock Tower
Mudželiti veliki bb
Sarajevo
Bosnia and Herzegovina
43.859183, 18.428576
Get Directions

Nearby Places

Gazi Husrev-beg Mosque

Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina

miles away

Sarajevo Meeting of Cultures

Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina

miles away

Museum of the Assassination of Franz Ferdinand

Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Sarajevo

Sarajevo

Bosnia and Herzegovina

Places 17
Stories 1

Nearby Places

Gazi Husrev-beg Mosque

Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina

miles away

Sarajevo Meeting of Cultures

Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina

miles away

Museum of the Assassination of Franz Ferdinand

Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Sarajevo

Sarajevo

Bosnia and Herzegovina

Places 17
Stories 1

Related Stories and Lists

The Best New Wonders of September

By Allison Meier

Related Places

  • The thirteen wooden beams visible from the alley.

    Fez, Morocco

    Dar al-Magana

    The thirteen wooden beams protruding from this historical building were once part of a hydraulic clock.

  • This view is probably the first you’ll see of this building.

    Little Ellingham, England

    Little Ellingham Clock Tower

    A unique clock tower in the garden of an elegant Victorian hall.

  • Clock Tower of Budolfi Church.

    Aalborg, Denmark

    Bell Chamber of Budolfi Church

    This bellfry was once said to be the Devil’s lair—or perhaps the home of a mischievous gnome?

  • This unusual linear clock shows the time all around the world.

    London, England

    The World Time Today

    Tucked away in a London Tube station, this 1920s linear clock shows the time across the world all at once.

  • The façade of St. George’s Basilica at night shows the Alpha clock on the left and the Omega clock on the right.

    Victoria, Malta

    Clocks of St. George’s Basilica

    These clocks tell time in a theological sense.

  • Winters Clock

    Stockport, England

    Winter's Clock

    Three mechanical figures—a soldier, a sailor, and Father Time—announce the time on this local landmark.

  • Waiting Adam

    Brno, Czechia

    ‘Waiting Adam’

    The smallest statue in Brno will keep you company under the clock on Česká Street.

  • Ghantaghar

    Kathmandu, Nepal

    Ghantaghar

    This legendary clock tower has dominated Kathmandu’s skyline since it was built in 1894.

Aerial image of Vietnam, displaying the picturesque rice terraces, characterized by their layered, verdant fields.
Atlas Obscura Membership

Become an Atlas Obscura Member


Join our community of curious explorers.

Become a Member

Get Our Email Newsletter

Follow Us

Facebook YouTube TikTok Instagram Pinterest RSS Feed

Get the app

Download the App
Download on the Apple App Store Get it on Google Play
  • All Places
  • Latest Places
  • Most Popular
  • Places to Eat
  • Random
  • Nearby
  • Add a Place
  • Stories
  • Food & Drink
  • Itineraries
  • Lists
  • Video
  • Podcast
  • Newsletters
  • All Trips
  • Family Trip
  • Food & Drink
  • History & Culture
  • Wildlife & Nature
  • FAQ
  • Membership
  • Feedback & Ideas
  • Community Guidelines
  • Product Blog
  • Unique Gifts
  • Work With Us
  • About
  • FAQ
  • Advertise With Us
  • Advertising Guidelines
  • Privacy Policy
  • Cookie Policy
  • Terms of Use
Atlas Obscura

© 2025 Atlas Obscura. All Rights Reserved.