Jam Gadang is a 26-metre-tall (85 ft)
clock tower and major landmark and tourist attraction in the Indonesian city of
Bukittinggi,
West Sumatra. The structure was built in 1926, during the
Dutch colonial era, as a gift from
Queen Wilhelmina to the city's controleur. A figure of a rooster was originally placed on the apex, but this was changed into a
Shinto shrine–like ornament during
the Japanese occupation (1942–1945); following
Indonesian independence, the tower's top was reshaped to its present form, which resembles traditional
Minang roofs. The tower was damaged in two earthquakes that struck the island in 2007 and was subsequently refurbished. It has been used as an observation post for fire control, and during
Ramadan the
call to prayer that marks the
breaking of the fast is sounded from the tower.Photograph credit:
Chris Woodrich