Markar Clock Building, Amidst Iran’s Vast Lands

Do you know where the central point of Iran is housed? To get the answer to this interesting question please follow me up to the end.

Iran’s focal point sits in the central city of Yazd.  Borj-e Sa’at-e Markar or Markar Monument stands in the heart of the lovely country of Iran.

The desert city of Yazd highlights the elegant Persian architectural manifestations and the location of the clock tower in a square with the same name in the city is in fact a testament. And interestingly, the country’s centerpiece is a measurement structure.

The clock square, a Qajar-era construction, with its tower are among the oldest clock buildings throughout the country. The national heritage site reveals intriguing Qajar-style architecture with its admirable arches adorned with poetry and verses of the holy Quran; the poems are by a local poet, Nasser. With a height of 4 meters, the tower contains a base, body, and head. The engine for clocks stands atop a wooden pile, and is tuned every week.

Formerly known as Ferdowsi Tower, it changed its name to Markar after a compound, including an orphanage and a school in the city, were founded by a benevolent Indian Zoroastrian named Pestonji Marker. The proprietor’s name was given to the plaza and the buildings as a commemoration.

The cuboid structure with its 4 clocks on top was built with plain cement. The clocks were made by Abubakr, a skilled Yazdi watchmaker, for the old Rokniyeh School. The reason for developing the building was the fact that Iranians extremely appreciated their time.

The clock tower, amid a plaza of tall trees and colorful plants, makes it a photogenic scene, with the cars moving anti-clockwise direction. The clock house is a wondrous view at night with its dreamy lighting.