Who constructed the clock tower?

Haxhi Et’hem Bey oversaw the construction alongside the mosque and madrasa, hiring craftsmen from the Gollobordë region.

Where was the bell produced?

The bell was manufactured at the Accerboni brothers foundry in Trieste and cast with floral decorations.

Why does the bell have visible holes and cracks?

The bell sustained damage from mortar shells fired during wartime military retreats.

Which family was responsible for the clock mechanism?

The Tufina family was tasked with assembling and maintaining the clock mechanism.

Is the clock tower an official heritage site?

The tower is designated as a monument of cultural heritage through official decisions by Albanian state authorities.

Tirana · Albania

Tirana Clock Tower: what's nearby, how to get there and when to go · 2026

Daily routines in central Tirana revolve around the pedestrian core near the monument, where municipal bells regulate the rhythm of the surrounding avenues.

Map of places

Now in the cityTirana Clock Towerlocal time on site Around here16

Exchange rateALL 81.26per 1 $ALL — the local currencyas of Nov 2, 2026

Within two hours

Shkodër≈ 1 hr 35 min

About the place

Ottoman engineering defines the historic skyline of central Tirana through municipal stone monuments.

Haxhi Et’hem Bey commissioned the monument alongside the neighbouring mosque and religious school. Local master masons from the Gollobordë area executed the stonework, creating a tall watchtower profile in the urban centre. The Tufina family assembled the original internal gearwork and maintained the mechanical timekeeping apparatus across multiple generations until official state preservation took over maintenance duties.

Read on

Subsequent reconstructions altered the upper pavilion to produce the present silhouette. Military conflicts brought direct physical damage, including the loss of the original movement and mortar strikes that cracked the bronze bell cast at the Accerboni foundry in Trieste. Modern restorations preserved these wartime fractures on the bell while municipal technicians integrated electric components to drive public street dials.

Associations

Tufina HorologistsLocal family workshop that assembled and maintained the tower clockwork.
Et'hem Bey MosqueNeighbouring religious complex built by the same founders in the centre.
Accerboni BellItalian foundry bell bearing historic multilingual commemorative carvings.
Wartime Shrapnel DamageMortar shell impacts left permanent cracks and holes across the bronze bell.

Facts

Artisans from the Gollobordë region completed the primary masonry construction.
The bronze bell was manufactured in Trieste at the foundry of the Accerboni brothers.
English painter Edward Lear documented the structure in early watercolour landscapes.
The Institute of Sciences designated the building as a protected cultural monument.

Updated September 21, 2026Source: Wikipedia

Tirana Clock Tower: what's nearby, how to get there and when to go · 2026

What is around16

Ottoman engineering defines the historic skyline of central Tirana through municipal stone monuments.

Getting there and staying

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