Giurgiu Clocktower

The Giurgiu Clocktower is an Ottoman watchtower (1771), later fire lookout and clocktower (1830) from the Romanian town of Giurgiu. It has been designated by the Romanian Ministry of Culture and National Heritage as a historical monument of national importance. The city of Giurgiu is located on the Danube river, which constitutes the border with Bulgaria. The city's location on the river made it a strategic asset for the Ottoman Empire. The Ottomans started construction of the tower in 1770 and completed construction in 1771. It was initially built as a military watchtower used for surveillance over the city and the river, and was later used as a lookout for fire prevention. The monument is the symbol of the City of Giurgiu as well as a symbol of Giurgiu County and depicted as such on the official county emblem.