World's Tallest Clock Tower in Makkah (Mecca) Saudi Arabia World 2nd Tallest Building

World's Tallest Clock Tower in Makkah (Mecca)

Live From Makkah click

The Makkah Clock Royal Tower is the second tallest building in the world and the biggest clock tower, standing at 577 meters high it is 59 meters taller than the Taipei Tower in Taiwan but still shorter than the Burj Dubai (or Burj Khalifa) which stands at a huge 828 meters.

                                      

The Mecca Clock tower is part of the Abaj Al-Bait (or Al-Bayt) project just 50M in front of the Grand Mosque in Makkah (Mecca), the site that all Muslims must face to pray 5 times per day, their holiest of shrines. The clock tower itself is used for the call to prayer within the city of Makkah or Mecca.

The Clock is lit and visible from around 17 kilometers away at night and up
to 12 km during the day, the Clock is six times the size of Big Ben.
                               
 

I once got lost trying to navigate past and stopped at the checkpoint into Makkah, I was forced back into my car at gunpoint and sent on my way without directions by these humble, helpful, forgiving people.(by Lean man)
                  

If you are an expat working in Saudi Arabia or someone wishing to visit this truly awe inspiring building then be warned, unless you are a Muslim you will be unable to enter the holy city. The roads into this area are dotted with checkpoints to ensure that only the faithful enter.

                           
The Clock Faces  sit at a height of 380 Meters on all sides of the royal tower and be visible from up to 17km during the night. The two largest faces are 80m by 65m with an actual clock face of 39M Diameter. The "smaller" two faces being 65m by 39m with a clock face of 25m diameter. Designed by Swiss engineering
firm Straitlaced the clock is the biggest in the world.

Each Clock Face bears the Name of Allah and an Observation platform is sited just 5m below each face served by two lifts.

The clock faces are lit with a huge array of lights ensuring that they are visible during the hours of darkness.