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Further Distractions

Ottoman Clock Tower

The Ottoman Clock Tower is the first attraction that visitors to Jaffa see, if they come along Yefet Street. Built in 1906 to mark the anniversary of the accession to the throne of the Ottoman Sultan Abdul Hamid II, the occasionally working clock tower serves as one of Jaffa's main prominent landmarks. There is some dispute as to whether the clock tower was built to mark the 25th or 30th anniversary of the Sultan's reign, which stems from the fact that construction actually began in 1901 and took over five years to complete. The clock tower acts as a social centre for weekend crowds, who gather around it to stroll and socialise in the balmy air or to eat at nearby outdoor restaurants.

Ottoman Clock Tower Square, Yefet Street, Jaffa
Transport: Bus 7, 10, 40, 44 and 46.
Admission: Free.

Mahmoudiyeh Mosque

Located at the southwest corner of the Ottoman Clock Tower Square is Mahmoudiyeh Mosque. Although constructed in 1809, the mosque was extensively renovated just three years later by the Turkish Sultan's representative in Jaffa, Governor Mohammad 'Abu Nabut' Aja, under whose rule Jaffa experienced a period of rejuvenation and expansion. Among the building materials used in the renovation were columns taken from the Roman ruins of Asqelon and the amphitheatre in Caesarea. Popular legend has it that the masons set them upside down, so that today their capitals stand at the base. The main entrance to the mosque is in the south wall, although a separate entrance was built in the east wall during the late nineteenth century for exclusive use of the Governor and other notables.

Ottoman Clock Tower Square, Yefet Street, Jaffa
Transport: Bus 7, 10, 40, 44 and 46.
Admission: Muslims only.



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