Abraj Al Bait Towers is a 76-storey landmark near Islam’s holiest abode, Mecca. Translating to ‘Towers of the House’, it’s a complex of seven towering hotels offering luxury and comfort to pilgrims visiting Mecca. The Royal Clock Tower- the tallest tower in the complex-overlooks Mecca. It’s full of superlatives. Why? Well, here are 5 mind-blowing facts about Abraj Al Bait Towers, the world’s highest clock tower.
The clock on top of Mecca’s highest tower can be seen from 17 kilometres away. Nestled 450 m above the ground, it’s the most elevated architectural clock in the world. No wonder, devotees visiting Mecca can spot it from far away! Additionally, it can also shelter around 2 million pilgrims.
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The cost of constructing the biggest clock tower in the world is a costly affair. Construction began in 2002 and was not completed until 2012. The project’s total cost was $15 billion. Only huge nuclear power plant structures, whose prices are often comparable, may match that sum.
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Abraj Al-Bait clock tower has the world’s largest clock face. It has a diameter spanning 43 meters. While the hour hand is 17 metres long, the minute hand is 23 metres long. While people often mistake London’s Big Ben to have the largest clock face in the world, Abraj Al-Bait takes the cake for the feat.
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The Burj Khalifa and China’s Shanghai Tower are the two tallest structures in the world, respectively. While the 120-story Abraj Al-Bait Clock Tower is the third-tallest at 1,972 ft (2,073 feet tall). Only 7 feet, separate the fourth-tallest building in the world, the Ping An Finance Center in China, and the Abraj Al-Bait Clock Tower.
The Makkah clock tower is covered in 98 million mosaic tiles, including 24-carat gold leaves. The megastructure’s apex is covered with 26 spotlights with a maximum firing range of 10 kilometres. Moreover, the building’s 23-meter crescent is also made of a gold mosaic with a fibreglass backing.
Are you also amazed by these facts about Abraj Al Bait? Let us know in the comments section which fact blew your mind.
40 countries, 123 cities and the rest of the world to go. Kamiya Jani gave up her full time media job to dare to live the life she always wanted. She set up Curly Tales to let people discover their love for food, travel & indulgences. Before this, Kamiya was working as a Business Journalist & Television anchor with ET NOW, Bloomberg TV and CNBC TV18.
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