The Clock Tower in Banja Luka is finally entering its reconstruction phase this week at its original location, in the immediate vicinity of the Ferhadija Mosque. The cornerstone, according to previous announcements, will be laid on Thursday, April 30, at 12:00 p.m. This will officially mark the beginning of work on one of the city’s most recognizable yet most enigmatic symbols as part of the “Days of Vakuf” event.
Zoran Pejašinović, a historian from Banja Luka, recently offered inspiration for understanding its significance and layered past, reminding us that despite numerous studies, there are still more questions than answers regarding the clock tower.
First and foremost, it has not been reliably established when it was built. The year 1587 is often cited, which would make it the oldest clock tower in Bosnia and Herzegovina. However, there are also claims that Ferhad-pasha Sokolović found the clock tower already standing in Banja Luka, as suggested by his vakufnama (deed of endowment), which mentions a salary for a watchmaker.
An additional mystery lies in the bell, which bore the castinscription “MDI,” denoting the year 1501. According to one theory, this would mean the tower is older than assumed. A more realistic explanation, however, is that the bell, which, according to its inscription, was cast by Bartol Padovan in Venice, arrivedin Banja Luka as war booty, likely taken from a church in continental Croatia, which was not uncommon at the time.
Evidence that this assumption is not without merit can be found in a folk song about an event from 1575, when Ferhad-pasha defeated the Austrian commander of the Military Frontier, Baron Herbart Auersperg, in the Kordun region. The epic poem “Ošpergan” recounts an episode in which the Pasha, demanding a ransom for the Baron’s imprisoned son and his severed head, also requires a clock tower to be built “like the bell tower of your church.” This motif further strengthens the thesis regarding the origin of the bell and the inspiration for the construction.
Destroyed, Altered, and Forgotten Multiple Times
Be that as it may, historians, architects, and numerous publicists agree on one thing, over the centuries, the clock tower was damaged and restored so many times that it is now impossible to precisely reconstruct its original appearance. It is known that it had a nearly square base of just over three meters that was built of dressed tufa on the outside, while the interior was made of the lower-quality local Lauš limestone. At its foot were modest metal doors, and the tower was topped with a lead-covered hipped roof.
During the First World War, the lead was stripped off, and a simpler shingle roof was installed. The original height was less than 19 meters, but with later extensions, it reached over 24 meters. The upper part of the tower had one window on each side, shaped in a pointed, Oriental arch, while later interventions added new openings made of factory-produced brick.
The clock on the tower has its own story as well. It is recorded that just before the 1969 earthquake, a restoration was planned, as it had not worked for decades. Following further damage, a new mechanism was acquired, according to some sources from the “Insa” factory in Zemun, and according to others, from Vienna.
As Pejašinović recalls, on City Day in April 1971, the clock was officially restarted and functioned for years, thanks to the precision mechanic Josip Lenard from “Čajavec.” However, later records testify that the ringing of the bell could no longer be heard, even though the clock still showed the time.
Over time, the tower’s appearance changed; it was plastered, decorated, and topped with three “apples” (ornamental spheres), causing it to lose its original authenticity. As the plaster began to peel away, it even became somewhat of an eyesore for the city. At one point, a fire siren was even placed inside it, while iron hoops held the structure together. None of these changes, however, diminish the fact that its destruction in 1993 left a deep scar in the collective memory of Banja Luka.
Reconstruction after Three Decades
Three decades later, the city has a chance to bring back one of its most recognizable symbols. As previously announced by the Vakuf Directorate, approximately 1.5 million BAM has been secured for the reconstruction, and the works are expected to last 24 months. The project is being implemented based on a protocol signed back in 2020 between multiple institutions, with the support of the General Directorate of Foundations of the Republic of Turkey, the City of Banja Luka, and the Mufti’s Office of Banja Luka.
We are yet to see what the reconstructed clock tower will look like. Precisely because of all the historical layers, alterations, and uncertainties, the designers face the task of finding a balance between authenticity and a modern approach to restoration.
One thing, however, is certain, the clock tower is returning. And with it, the stories that echoed through its bell for centuries, Ekapija writes.
