Botevgrad Clock Tower
| Clock Tower, Botevgrad | |
|---|---|
 The Clock Tower in Botevgrad | |
  | |
| General information | |
| Type | Clock tower |
| Location | Botevgrad, Bulgaria |
| Coordinates | 42°54′25″N 23°47′31″E / 42.906944°N 23.791944°E |
| Completed | 1866 |
| Height | 30 metres (98 ft) |
| Design and construction | |
| Architect(s) | Vuno Markov |
The Clock tower in Botevgrad is a symbol of the town and a part of 100 Tourist Sites of Bulgaria. With its renewed clock mechanism, it still alarms every hour with exact number of bell rings. It was build in 1866.[1]
History
The tower was build as a part of large-scale construction in 1866 on the occasion of the announcement of the village Samundjievo as town and district center by proposal of Midhat Pasha, by the master Vuno Markov from Vrachesh. The clock mechanism is made by local ironmonger Gencho Nakov, and the bell – by master Lazar Dimitrov from Bansko.[1]
Initially, there was a little wooden house on the top of the tower. A Turkish figurine with fes on its head would get out and bow every time the bells announce the hour. After the Bulgarian Liberation local people took down and burned the Turkish symbol.[1]
In 1924 a community center was built next to the tower. After a half a century, according to restoration plans of the tower, the center was removed, and a Douglas Fir tree (Pseudotsuga) was planted next to the tower. The height of the tree eventually almost reached the height of the tower. It became a valuable tree for the city and it is decorated for Christmas every year. However, the tall tree is located fairly close to the tower, and some specialists suppose its roots may threaten the symbol of the town.[1]
In its century-long history, the architecture monument has suffered a lot of constructions, repairs, conservation and restoration efforts, as well as artistic activities to keep its original style and appearance.
The clock tower is one of the 100 Tourist Sites of Bulgaria. The stamp for this object is in the Historical museum.
Description
The Clock tower is one of the few architectural monuments in the municipality of Botevgrad that date from the Renaissance. It is located in the very center of the town and perspectively closes all of the streets that lead to it.
Architecture
The height of the tower is 30m, which makes it the tallest clock tower in Bulgaria. Distinctive features are its baroque elements and frescoes decorating the corrugated cornices. It contains similar architectural elements to those from the Plovdiv and Koprivshtitsa houses, and a pointed cube reminiscent of the forms of Islamic architecture. It is decorated with blue frescoes. The lower part of the tower is stone masonry with a door, which leads inside for servicing and winding the clock mechanism. Above there are wavy, and on the top – hexagonal upgrades with decreasing diameters.[2]
For the building big stones from the quarry near Bozhenitsa were used, along with timber from the Vrachesh area. The tower consists of three proportional parts with total height of 30m. Its base is a square with a height of 11 m., raised with stones. The middle section is narrowed and its edges are outlined by half-columns, ending with cornice, and the walls are slightly wavy shaped, which adds elegance to the building. The upper part raises over the cornice and it narrows even further. It has a hexagonal shape and inside it is mounted a clock with a bell. In 1870 a vane was placed on it.
From the entrance of the tower to its last part there are spiral-shaped wooden stairs, which lead to the clock mechanism. The melodic bell ringing is heard in a radius of 3 km.
Clock mechanism
The original clock mechanism is made by Gencho Nakov “Kantardjiata” and is saved in the Botevgrad History Museum. The new one is made by masters from Etar museum and it still counts the hours by bell ringings.
Gallery
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The interior of Botevgrad's clock tower. The (working) clockwork. -
The old clockwork of Botevgrad's clock tower preserved in the local museum. -
The interior of Botevgrad's clock tower. Staircase and weights of the clockwork. -
The interior of Botevgrad's clock tower. The staircase shot from below.
