Fadhil Agly Hakim

X MIPA 1/08
Jam Gadang

Jam Gadang  is a clock tower which is a landmark of Bukittinggi and West Sumatra
province in Indonesia. The symbol is also typical of West Sumatra has a story and is unique
because of the decades old. Jam Gadang name given by the Minangkabau to the clock tower
building, because it has a clock tower that “large sieve".Jam Gadang Machine is believed
there are only two in the world. The twins of course that is currently installed at the Big Ben,
England.
The basic size of the Jam Gadang building is 6.5 x 6.5 meters, plus the base size of
the stairs as wide as 4 meters, so that the basic size of the entire building is 6.5 x 10.5 meters.
The inside of the clock tower consists of several levels, with the top level being the pendulum
storage. The pendulum was broken until it had to be replaced due to the earthquake in 2007.
Jam Gadang was built without using iron strut and mortar. The mixture is just lime and sand.

There are 4 clocks with a diameter of 80 cm each at the Clock Tower. The clock is
imported directly from Rotterdam, the Netherlands through the port of Bayur Bay. The
machine and clock face are located one level below the top level. On the bell part, written
that the watchmaker is Vortmann Relinghausen The clocks use "IIII" for the number 4
instead of the traditional Roman numeral "IV".

The Jam Gadang tower is considered an icon of Bukittinggi and the city's main
tourist attraction. Given its iconic appearance, the structure is a frequent object of local
souvenirs. It is printed on apparel, painted, used as model for sculpting and magnet design,
and so forth. It is common for tourists visiting Bukittinggi to take photographs in front of the
tower, and local residents offer photography services for this purpose.

Jam Gadang is the name of clock tower in Bukittinggi, West Sumatra. Which is it is
the landmark of West Sumatra.. Every year many tourists visit it to see the unique clock
tower. Other than that, Jam Gadang are also used as an economic source by the local
community. So with its uniqueness and history, Jam Gadang always give benefits to the
tourists and local people.