The clock tower of Amasya stands beside the Government (Helkis) bridge in the city centre. It was built in 1865 by Ziya Pasha, the poet, who was then governor of Amasya. Be clear about what stands there today: the tower suffered a fire soon after it was first built, and it was demolished in 1940 when the wooden bridge beside it was rebuilt in reinforced concrete. The present tower was rebuilt in keeping with the original in 2002.
In form it is essentially a minaret. The base is square, the shaft cylindrical, and both are of regular cut stone; on the east front is a semicircular-arched window, and on the north a semicircular-arched door with two windows. The shaft is entirely brick. The upper part, corresponding to the petek of a minaret, is built entirely of wood in two stages: on the main axes of the lower stage is a clock with a round dial, and on those of the upper stage a large semicircular-arched opening. The tower is covered by a low, wide-eaved roof. It is by the Government House, at the north end of the bridge, within walking distance.
Getting there
- Access
- In the city centre beside the Government House, at the northern end of the bridge, and within walking distance.
When to go
- Climate
- Across Amasya as a whole, monthly mean temperatures run from 2.7 °C in January to 23.9 °C in August; the mean stays between 15 and 25 °C in May, June, July, August and September; rainfall is heaviest in May (55 mm) and lightest in August (10 mm). Long-term means for 1961-2025 from the Turkish State Meteorological Service (MGM).
