The Manara Clock Tower and Bab Al-Saha (Quarter of Nablus)

Bab Al-Saha and some call it Al-Manara Square; because the clock tower is in its center. It is considered the beating heart of the old town. To the right of the square is Al-Nasr Mosque from the western side, and the Government Building (Ottoman Palaces) from its southern side, and it is directly linked with the city's most important streets, which pass through the south part of the square. The current shape of the square was established during a late period in 1901 AD on the occasion of the establishment of the clock tower, but it was likely built on the ruins of an older square.The importance and beauty of this square were emphasized in 1900 AD, when Sultan Abdul Hamid II donated a giant clock to the city among seven other clocks to the major Palestinian cities at that time, which included Jerusalem, Jaffa, Acre, Haifa, Safed, and Nazareth, on the occasion of the silver jubilee of his accession to the throne.At the time, the Nablus Municipality built a tower for this clock, which is still in operation today. The tower was built in its current form, which is a tower with a square base. The gate is located on the southern facade, surmounted by an inscription that dates the tower's construction and the official seal of the Ottoman Empire in Tughra. The building tower consists of five levels (storeys), and the facades of the tower are decorated with beautiful window openings and stone friezes. The clock has been installed on the fourth level, and its indicators overlook the four facades; to make it easy to see from all directions.This tower gained importance and symbolism, especially after the municipality of Nablus adopted it as the emblem of the city's municipality. It also became a magnet for many city dwellers and visitors after rehabilitating the square and the tower in 2019.