Markar Clock Tower

The Markar Clock Tower (برج ساعت مارکار‎‎) is a historic clock tower in Yazd province. It was meant to honor Ferdosi and initially constructed in Pahlavi Square. However, following objections to its location it was torn down and rebuilt at its current spot. Its construction was completed on Oct, 26, 1942 and is now located in the middle of the Marker Clock Plaza. The cost of its construction was paid by a Zoroastrian from India, Pashutanji Markar who developed Markar Complex, which included a school and an orphanage. The plaza is situated on the road to Kerman just north of the Markarabad school entrance.

Mirza Soroush obtained permission for, and supervised the construction of, the Markar Plaza with gardens around it. The plaza is situated on the road to Kerman just north of the Markarabad school entrance.

The tower has a height of about 18 meters with a square shaped cross section and a pyramidal top. It contains a four-face clock for which its movement system was designed in London by J. Smith & Sons Co. A wooden staircase leads to the top of the tower where one can access the spring which needs weekly winding.

There are turquoise inscriptions on the four sides of the tower that read as poems (by a local poet, Naser) in two lines which should be read clockwise. The upper line poem is about Ferdosi while the lower line is about the benefactor. The last verse of the lower line implies the end time/year of building of tower in Abjad numerals system; 13:20 or 1320 (Solar Hejri), as well as Markar's religion (Zoroastrianism) by using one of the religion’s maxims, "Good Deeds”.

In 1999 Markar Clock Tower was registered as a National Heritage Site with registration No. 2146.

The Markar Clock Tower should not be confused with Clock Square in Yazd which also is home to a clock tower. The said clock was constructed during the Qajar era and was Yazd’s first clock tower although the tower itself was erected in the 14^th century. It is shaped like a rectangular prism with a square cross section and is made of clay along with arches, brick ornaments and tiles inscribed with Quranic verses. The height of this brick tower is about 25 meters. All four sides of this clock tower are identical. In 1999 the square and its accompanying clock tower were registered as a National Heritage Site with registration No. 2656.