The Cunningham Clock Tower () in
Peshawar
Peshawar is the capital and List of cities in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa by population, largest city of the Administrative units of Pakistan, Pakistani province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. It is the sixth most populous city of Pakistan, with a district p ...
,
Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa,
Pakistan
Pakistan, officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by population, fifth-most populous country, with a population of over 241.5 million, having the Islam by country# ...
, was built in 1900, "in commemoration of
Her Majesty the Queen Empress Victoria". The tower was named after the Commissioner of Peshawar, Sir Alexander Frederick Douglas Cunningham (son of
Alexander Cunningham
Major General Sir Alexander Cunningham (23 January 1814 – 28 November 1893) was a British Army engineer with the Bengal Sappers who later took an interest in the history and archaeology of India. In 1861, he was appointed to the newly crea ...
), not to be confused with
Sir George Cunningham,
former British
governor
A governor is an politician, administrative leader and head of a polity or Region#Political regions, political region, in some cases, such as governor-general, governors-general, as the head of a state's official representative. Depending on the ...
and political agent in the province.
History
Designed by James Strachan, the Municipal Engineer of
Peshawar
Peshawar is the capital and List of cities in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa by population, largest city of the Administrative units of Pakistan, Pakistani province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. It is the sixth most populous city of Pakistan, with a district p ...
, the foundation stone was laid by Cunningham, commissioner of Peshawar in 1898. It was opened to the public in 1900 to commemorate the
Diamond Jubilee of Queen Victoria
The Diamond Jubilee of Queen Victoria was officially celebrated on 22 June 1897 to mark the occasion of the 60th anniversary of Queen Victoria's accession on 20 June 1837. Queen Victoria was the first British monarch ever to celebrate a Diamond ...
. The construction of the building was funded by Balmukand Ahooja - Banker and Contractor of Peshawar
Structure
The tower is 31 feet in diameter. Its base is 13 by 4 metres (43 ft × 13 ft) and stands 26 metres (85 ft) tall at the Ghanta Ghar Chowk ("Clock Tower Square").
Gallery
File:Kenta Kerr, Peshawar.JPG
File:Cunningham clock tower Peshawar.jpg
File:Cunningham clock tower Peshawar KPK.jpg
See also
*
List of clock towers in Pakistan
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Cunningham Clock Tower
1900 establishments in British India
Towers completed in 1900
Tourist attractions in Peshawar
Clock towers in Pakistan
Buildings and structures in Peshawar
Diamond Jubilee of Queen Victoria
British colonial architecture in Pakistan