A PHOTOGRAPH of the Empress Market clock tower that appeared in Dawn (April 16) reminded me of the legacy of the British who conceived an innovative idea of fixing clocks in the marketplace of every city and town of the colony.

The use of clock towers dates back to the antiquity. The earliest clock tower was the Tower of the Winds in Athens which featured eight sundials. In its interior, there was also a water clock (or clepsydra), driven by water coming down from the Acropolis.

The first striking clock tower was constructed centuries later in 1154 near the Umayyad Mosque in Damascus, Syria, by Arab engineer al Kaysarani. The earliest clock tower in mediaeval Europe was the Salisbury cathedral clock in England, completed in 1306.

The five of the best known 'clock towers' are the St Stephen's Tower, which houses Big Ben of the Palace of Westminster in London, the Rajabai Tower in Mumbai, the Spasskaya Tower of the Kremlin, the Leaning Tower of Pisa, the Campanile in Venice, Italy, Zytglogge clock tower in the Old city of Berne, Switzerland.

Although clock towers are today mostly admired for their aesthetics, they once served an important purpose. Before the middle of the 20th century most people did not have watches, and prior to the 18th century even home clocks were uncommon. To facilitate the people about time, clock towers were placed near the centres of towns and established mostly in the tallest structures.

When the British subjugated the Orient, they introduced clock towers throughout the occupied territory. In Sindh also these clock towers can be seen in marketplaces and main public buildings of even the small towns.

Now these towers because of their antiquity, architectural eminence and central location are considered objects of exquisite beauty rather than just time machines.

Unfortunately now most of these towers show total neglect by the authorities as well as by civil society. In some places the structure of tower buildings are nearing collapse due to lack of proper maintenance and the clocks in most of the towers are either broken or not functional, as in the case of Empress tower clock shown in the picture. Thus like squandering other assets of national importance, we as a nation have also failed to preserve such monument of national importance.

I request the municipal authorities and civil society to appreciate the significance of these clock towers, a priceless national asset, and not only restore their edifices to pristine beauty but also ensure that clocks fixed in the towers are made functional.

ISHA M. KURESHI

Karachi