In 1901, Sultan Abdul Hamid II commissioned over 70 clock towers to be built all over the empire in commemoration of the 25th anniversary of his accession to the throne. These clock towers were indeed built all over the city, both as beautiful monuments in and of themselves and also as a way to create an official timepiece for each city (this being an era before cheap wristwatches or, better yet, before hand-held phones which we use today.