High above, the clock strikes a somber note. The Etfal Hospital Clock Tower stands tall. It is more than just a timekeeper. This tower holds stories of sultans, architects, and the echoes of tiny footsteps.
The Etfal Hospital Clock Tower is in the garden of \u015ei\u015fli Etfal Hospital. This hospital was once called Hamidiye Etfal Hospital. It sits in Istanbul’s \u015ei\u015fli district on the European side of the Bosphorus.
Sultan Abd\u00fclhamid II ruled the Ottoman Empire from 1876 to 1909. He commissioned the Etfal Hospital Clock Tower. Mehmet \u015e\u00fckr\u00fc Bey designed this beautiful tower. It is a testament to Ottoman architecture.
The Etfal Hospital Clock Tower reaches a height of 20 meters. That’s about 66 feet tall. Marble and Hereke stone make up its elegant structure. Look closely at the front. You will see the tughra of Sultan Abd\u00fclhamid II. It is a symbol of his reign.
Etfal means little child in Ottoman Turkish. The hospital was built for children. The Etfal Hospital Clock Tower watched over them. It stood as a silent guardian.
The clock tower’s dome roof is eye-catching. The marble facade gleams in the sun. A half-axle design creates more interior space. Raimondo D’Aronco contributed to the design. F. Pellini crafted it. Mahmud \u015e\u00fckr\u00fc Bey, the hospital’s chief architect, also helped.
See the balcony cheers around the tower. They are supported from below. It’s said that the first clock’s numbers glowed at night. They must have been a beautiful sight.
The hospital is the first children’s hospital of the Ottoman Empire. Sultan Abd\u00fclhamid II lost his eight-month-old daughter, Hatice Sultan, to diphtheria in 1899. He built the hospital to honor her memory.
The hospital was first named Hamidiye Etfal Hospital. Later, it was called Osmanl\u0131 Etfal Hospital. In 1922, it became \u015ei\u015fli Etfal Hospital.
The Etfal Hospital Clock Tower has seen much history. The hospital pioneered many medical advancements. Today, the Etfal Hospital Clock Tower stands as a reminder. It reminds us of the city’s historical identity. It also reminds us of the children it watched over. It connects us to the past. It invites us to remember. It urges us to reflect. It stands as a beacon of hope. It embodies the circle of time.