The Clock Tower, situated in the historical as well as the urban center of Herceg Novi, is one of the symbols of the town. It was erected in 1667 under the order of Sultan Mahmud, still showing the correct time for more than 300 years. During the Ottoman rule, when there was a mosque next to the Tower, the clock marked when the time came for the Muslims of the town to pray, but the tower also served as a city gate, and one had to pass through it to reach another part of town. Today, this historical monument separates the pedestrian Njegoševa Street from the Belavista square. Today, the Tower is a trademark of Herceg Novi, its image being incorporated into the city’s coat of arms. The bell inside the Tower was gifted to the town in 1753 by Russian Tsarina Catherine II, and there is an unusual statue of the Mother of God made from charred wood in the passageway of the Tower, called The Black Mother of God. The statue is dedicated to the founder of the city, King Tvrtko of Bosnia.
In front of and under the Tower, the big square of Nikola Đurković, one of the city’s two largest squares, houses many bars, restaurants, banks, shops and steps which lead to the Škver, the town port.
Author of the text:
Marijana Niković licensed tourist guide for Montenegro.
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