Astronomical clock

Next to Europe Square, there is a building that looks like it came straight out of a fairy tale – the former National Bank of Georgia. Its pointed Gothic tower, decorated with patterned balconies and stained glass windows, immediately attracts attention. But the real gem of this building is the Astronomical Clock. It was installed in 2010-2011 by decision of the city authorities to increase the tourist attractiveness of the city. The clock was made in Germany and cost more than one and a half million lari.

Their appearance is mesmerizing: the dial is framed in a gilded frame, and the ends of the hands are decorated with figures of the sun and the moon. This clock is not just a chronometer. It is a complex mechanism, similar to the famous clock on the town hall in Prague, capable of displaying a variety of astronomical data. With their help, you can find out not only the exact local time, but also the position of the sun, moon (including its phases) and planets in the zodiac constellations. They show the time of sunrise and sunset, indicate the meridian, horizon and cardinal directions. Every half hour, the clock gives a short signal, and every hour its melodic ringing spreads across the square.

For those who do not understand astronomy but want to unravel the secrets of the celestial dial, a special information panel with explanations in Georgian, English and Russian is installed nearby. Although some note that the height of the dial makes it difficult to see the details, the watch still makes an indelible impression.