Abraj Al Bait

Mecca, Saudi Arabia

Exterior only

Visible from the street; the inside is private.

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The Clock Towers, a seven-hotel complex in Mecca, Saudi Arabia, completed in 2012, stands as a government-owned landmark in the King Abdulaziz Endowment Project to enhance pilgrim accommodations. Designed by Mahmoud Bodo Rasch and Dar Al-Handasah in postmodern style, the complex employs composite construction, reinforced concrete, carbon-fiber-reinforced polymer, marble, and stone. The central Mecca Royal Clock Tower rises 601 meters, making it the world's tallest clock tower and the fourth-tallest building globally. Its clock faces are the largest in the world, and the top four floors contain the Clock Tower Museum. Situated 300 meters from the Great Mosque of Islam's holiest site, the complex cost $15 billion to construct—making it the world's second most expensive building. Built by the Saudi Binladin Group following the 2002 demolition of the 18th-century Ottoman Ajyad Fortress, its construction sparked international controversy over the loss of the historically significant site.

Architect

Mahmoud Bodo Rasch Dar Al-Handasah

Movement

postmodern architecture

Built: 2012
Type: skyscraper, clock tower, building complex
Materials: composite construction, carbon-fiber-reinforced polymer, reinforced concrete, marble
Height: 601 m
Place: Mecca, Saudi Arabia

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Location

21.41889, 39.82639