The Makka Royal Cloack Tower

A brief insight into the construction and history of the Makka Royal Cloack Tower

Please note: If you are not a Muslim, traveling to Mecca as a non-Muslim is strictly forbidden.

picture of Ishan @seefromthesky

The Royal Clock Tower start of construction:2004

Back in 2004, when construction of the tower began, there was no talk of a tower, let alone a clock that would have

75-foot (23-meter) hand. The original idea was a mall and a superlative hotel for the million visitors (10 million visitors in 2023) . The result was a 6,000-room hotel, making it the fourth largest hotel in the world. Its optimal location, just 75 meters (250 feet) from the center of Mecca the Kaaba, is perfect for pilgrims traveling to the Holy City.Numerous companies and architects were involved in the construction, and an estimated 12-22 thousand workers worked on it non-stop. Since, under no circumstances, are non-Muslims allowed to visit Mecca, many the builders and architects could not go to Mecca to build the tower. Many possibilities and solutions were created to avoid this problem becoming an obstacle, such as building and checking parts outside Mecca.

A New Plan?!

When the hotels and mall were almost completed in 2006, a new discussion about a further tower, the Tower, opened. As part of a larger project, the decision was made to build a 600-meter-high tower that would be a landmark for the city. This is how the idea of the four with a diameter of 43 meters and a clock and atomic clock that can give all Muslims in the world the exact time in Mecca was born. . After only a few months of planning, construction of the Cloack Tower began in 2006. The new Cloack Tower presented a number of new challenges, including the additional weight of the tower and the function of a 43-meter clock at a height of 450 meters, but also the many lightning strikes at that height. A solution to the lightning problem was quickly found: . The additional weight of the new tower and the four giant clocks had to be greatly reduced, so large sections of the floor were cut out and the ceilings were lowered to 12 meters. Special carbon was used for the clock hands on all sides, which was strong enough to withstand the wind but not influence the weight of the Tower.

The Clock

The material and weight problem had now been solved, but the planning did not go without problems. In order to make the clocks visible at a height of almost 450 meters, the idea was to illuminate them so that they could be seen from below and from a distance. There were ideas for spotlights and backlights, but all of them were rejected due to the weather and visibility. After much deliberation, the decision was made for a special LED solution in a green-white style that was built into the wall of the clock. Around 8 million LEDs, 2 million per clock, were used to make the hands and the dial visible. In perfect weather at night, the clocks can apparently be seen and read from a distance of over 15 km (9.3 miles).

The largest clock in the world

picture of mahdiya aqila

Completion of construction

The construction of the tower took almost six years, with savings in building materials and a super-light structure, and was thus completed in 2012. In addition to the hotel, the tower has the highest prayer room at approximately 558 meters (1830 feet) from which one can look directly at Kaaba. In addition, there is a mall, Islamic Museum, Lunar Observation Center and a Scientific Center. To date, it is a landmark of the city and has left a lasting impression.To date, it is one of the most expensive construction projects in history, with estimated construction costs of 16 billion.

Brief facts: The Makka Royal Clock Tower

Height: 601 meters/1971.78 feet(making it the tallest clock tower in the world)
Clock Faces: Each clock face is 43 meters in diameter, the largest in the world
Completion: Constructed between 2004 and 2012, part of the King Abdulaziz Endowment Project
LED Lights: Each clock face is illuminated by 2 million LED lights,
Prayer Room: Contains the world’s highest prayer room, located at 558 meters
World’s Heaviest Clock Movement: Weighs 21 tons