Old Town Square - The famous clock

---

On the hour Old Town Clock performs. There is always a large crowd gathered to watch. Figures move, doors open, apostles pass in review, death rings a bell as time waits for no man and the rooster crows as the performance ends. It is always fascinating to watch. It is one of the top draws for all visitors to Prague. It is one of the must stops for all tour groups. Tour guide's umbrellas and flags can be see raised in the air as they attempt to keep their individual groups together and not lose too many tourists in the crowd. For the most part they seem to succeed.

The oldest part of the clock dates back to 1410. Wow, 600 years ago and still working, though a great amount of maintenance has been done through the years. It was badly damaged on May 7th and 8th, 1945 during the Prague uprising against the Nazi occupiers. The 600 hundredth anniversary of the clock was celebrated with a light show on October 9th, 2010. Think about it. That was 82 years before Columbus discovered the new world.

There is a legend that upon completion of the clock the clock

master, Jan Růe, was blinded by the city fathers so that no other city could hire him and have such a wonderful clock. I hope this is simply a legend and not true. The story also says that after being blinded he broke the clock and no one could repair it for over 100 years.


A computer model of the astronomical part of the clock, the Orloj , can be seen at:

http://www.praguealacarte.com/orloj/orlojLoader.html

Notice the sun moving back and forth with the seasons of the year.

---

Photos

Old Town Clock
An astronomical clock, not what we expect when we say clock.

The astronomical clock
It is based on the earth being the center of the universe.

Old Town Clock Apostles Passing In Review
They appear and nod their heads on the hour.

The Zodiac Below the Clock.
One click for each day of the year in the white outer circle. This was added in 1870.

Death and the Turk
Both were bitter enemies. Death still is an enemy.

Old Town Clock Bugler
Not famous like the Bugler of Krakow but here now.

Comments

[Susan]

Wonderful
I wish I was there in person to see this. I love the middle part with the various colored circles- almost like stained glass.