Description of the attraction
The Jam Gadang Clock Tower is considered one of the most striking and memorable sights of the city of Bukittinggi (western part of Sumatra). The city of Bukittinggi is part of the province of West Sumatra and is located in the central part of this province, not far from the city there are two volcanoes - Singalang and Merapi. It is worth noting the fact that the Merapi volcano is considered one of the most active and dangerous volcanoes on the island of Sumatra, the last eruption of this volcano was not so long ago - in 2011.
The clock tower of Jam Gadang stands in the center of the city, next to the main market of the city - Pasar Atas, where many beautiful souvenirs, fruits are sold, as well as a huge selection of dried fruits. The clock tower was built in 1926, when Indonesia was a colony of the Netherlands, on behalf of the Dutch queen, and was donated to Ruk Maker, who at that time was the city secretary.
On each side of the tower there is a clock, the diameter of the clock is 80 cm, and the height of the Jam Gadang tower reaches 26 meters. The uniqueness of the watch lies in the fact that instead of the traditional Roman numeral "IV", the combination "IIII" is drawn on the dial. According to local legend, the four vertical lines are reminiscent of the four workers who died when the building was being built. Initially, a figure of a rooster was installed on the top of the tower, but during the Japanese occupation, the figure of a rooster was removed, the roof was simply decorated with ornamental trim. In total, the roof facade has changed three times, and today the roof reflects the architecture that is traditional for the Minangkabau people.
In translation, the name of the Clock Tower Jam Gadang sounds like "big clock". The tower is very often depicted on souvenirs, and the square near Jam Gadang is central during the Bukittingi New Year's celebrations.
