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Clock Tower Museum

Makkah, Saudi Arabia

Clock Tower Museum

A museum of astronomy and timekeeping in the upper floors of the Makkah Clock Royal Tower (Abraj Al Bait), next to the Haram, with views over the Sacred Mosque.

Favourite places

Local food

  • Saleeg

    Makkah, Saudi Arabia

    A comforting Hejazi dish from the Taif, Makkah and Jeddah region: short-grain white rice slow-cooked in milk and broth until creamy, served with roast chicken and a drizzle of ghee.

  • Mutabbaq

    Makkah, Saudi Arabia

    Thin, crispy folded pastry filled with minced meat, egg and leek (or a sweet banana and cheese version), cooked on a hot griddle. A favourite Hejazi street snack, especially in the evening and in Ramadan.

  • Saudi coffee (gahwa) and dates

    Makkah, Saudi Arabia

    Light, golden Arabic coffee brewed with cardamom (and sometimes saffron or clove), poured in small handleless cups and always served with dates. Offering gahwa is the first gesture of Saudi hospitality — hold the cup in your right hand, and gently shake it when you have had enough.Read more

Where to eat

  • Food courts around the Haram

    Abraj Al Bait (Clock Towers) and the hotels around Masjid al-Haram

    The malls and hotels facing the mosque have large food courts with Saudi, South Asian, Turkish and international food, open long hours for pilgrims.

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Where to stay

  • Around the Haram (Abraj Al Bait and Ajyad)

    Makkah, Saudi Arabia

    Hotels facing or a few minutes from Masjid al-Haram, including the Clock Tower complex. The most convenient for praying in the mosque, and the most in demand in Ramadan and Hajj.

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Culture

Timekeeping has always mattered in Islam for prayer, fasting and pilgrimage, and the museum connects that tradition with modern astronomy.

History

The Abraj Al Bait complex, opened in stages in the early 2010s, stands beside Masjid al-Haram. Its central Makkah Royal Clock Tower is one of the tallest buildings in the world, crowned by a giant four-faced clock and a crescent visible across the city.

In the upper levels around the clock, the Clock Tower Museum presents exhibitions on astronomy, the universe and the Islamic tradition of timekeeping — the movement of the sun and moon that sets prayer times and the lunar calendar — with views over Makkah from the top.

Tour plans

Clock Tower visit

2–3 hours

  1. Step 1: Check availability

    Confirm the visit with your hotel or official channels.

  2. Step 2: Museum levels

    Explore the astronomy and timekeeping galleries.

  3. Step 3: View from the top

    Look out over the Haram.

Map

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Travel information

Best time to visit

Outside peak prayer and Hajj times; access depends on availability and current arrangements, so check before planning your visit.

How to get there

Next to the Haram: the tower is part of the Abraj Al Bait complex facing the King Abdulaziz Gate side of Masjid al-Haram. Ask at the complex or your hotel for the museum entrance.

Getting around

  • Lifts take visitors up to the museum levels.
  • The mall and hotels in the complex below connect directly to the Haram plaza.

Travel tips

  • Muslims only: non-Muslims are not permitted to enter Makkah. Road checkpoints mark the boundary of the Haram area, and signs direct non-Muslim traffic around the city.
  • Permits: Umrah needs a permit booked in the official Nusuk app, and Hajj is performed only with an official Hajj permit or package from your country. Check the current visa and permit rules before you travel.
  • The museum is not always open to the public; visits may need to be booked or arranged in advance and availability changes — confirm with official channels or your hotel before you go.
  • Plan around prayer times, when movement in the complex is limited.

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