Sahat Kula (Watch Tower)

The landmark Sahat Kula (watch tower) dates from the Ottoman period of Bosnia and Herzegovina’s history and is one of many Turkish-influenced buildings in Mostar’s photogenic Old Town (Stari Grad). It was built around 1630 and is a square, creamy-stone tower topped with a clock and a gray slate roof, it reaches 15 meters (49 feet) in height and stands up a steep flight of worn stone steps next to the Herzegovina Museum. Originally the tower had a bell, which apparently could be heard up to three hours’ walk away, but this was melted down during the Austro-Hungarian occupation of the country and has never been replaced. Like many of Mostar’s prominent historic buildings, the Sahat Kula suffered serious damage during the Balkan Wars of the 1990s but was fully restored in 1999.

Practical Info

The tower is not open to the public and is best reached on foot through the Old Town.