Its construction was ordered by Ottoman sultan Abdülhamid II (1842–1918) and designed by the court architect Sarkis Balyan between 1890 and 1895.

The clock tower was added to Dolmabahçe Palace, and stands in front of its Treasury Gate on a square along the European waterfront of Bosphorus next to Dolmabahçe Mosque.

Its face features highly stylised Eastern Arabic numerals.

Two opposing sides of the tower bear the tughra of Sultan Abdul Hamid II.

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