Khan Clock Tower, Colombo, Bezoekersgids & wat te doen in de buurt

The Khan Clock Tower is a landmark clock tower on Main Street in Pettah, the busy market district of Colombo, Sri Lanka. It was built in 1923 as a gift to the city by the sons of Framjee Bhikhajee Khan, so that everyone in the bazaar could check the time at a glance.

The story behind it

Framjee Bhikhajee Khan came to Colombo from Bombay to set up his business. After his death, his two sons decided to honour him with something the whole neighbourhood could use. They built the tower in 1923 and gave it to the people of Colombo, in the middle of the trading streets where his name was known.

The tower once had a water fountain at its base. The fountain no longer works, but the clocks still keep time, which is rather fitting for a gift that was meant to serve a crowd of shoppers and traders.

What to look for

• Look up at the clock faces and compare them with your own watch, since the clocks are still working after a century.
• Look at the base of the tower, where the old fountain used to stand, and picture it running in the 1920s.
• Notice how the tower stands out among the shopfronts, signs and awnings of Main Street, a reminder that it was built for people in a hurry.
• Watch the street itself: porters, vendors and shoppers moving around the tower show why a public clock was so useful here.

Tips for your visit

• Plan about 10 to 15 minutes at the tower itself. It is a monument to see from the street rather than a place to go inside.
• Pettah is at its most lively on trading days, so go earlier in the day if you prefer to take photos without a crush of people. Check which days the shops are open.
• Keep your bag zipped and your phone in hand only when needed, as you would in any crowded market area.
• Pair the tower with a wander through the nearby lanes of Pettah, where the markets and old shopfronts are the real attraction.

See it on a quest

Pettah: The Stories Between The Shops reaches the clock tower on foot as one stop on a longer route through the district. The app tells you about each place as you arrive and sets a puzzle in what is in front of you, so you look at the street rather than just walking through it. It is a paid quest, and one ticket covers the whole group.

The Secret Records of Pettah also passes the tower, with the same format: you walk from stop to stop, hear the story of each place, and solve a puzzle on the spot. It is free to play, and you can start whenever you like, with no guide and no group to join.