Newsletters
While Mexico City gets ready to host the opening match of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, it also has a unique claim to fame. The city is home to the only Ottoman artifact found anywhere in the Americas.
At the corner of Venustiano Carranza and Bolivar streets in the historic center, the Reloj Otomano, or Ottoman Clock, has kept time in Mexico City for over a hundred years. Every day, thousands of tourists walk through the square, but most do not know the story behind the clock.
Ottoman-origin Turkish, Syrian, and Lebanese immigrants gave the clock tower to the people of Mexico in 1910 to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the country’s independence. Locals often call it the "Turkish Clock," and the area around it is known as Plaza del Reloj Otomano, or Ottoman Clock Square.
The tower features Mudejar-style arches and a body covered in mosaics. Three bells at the top ring every 15 minutes. Each of the four clock faces shows both Latin and Ottoman numerals. The symbols on top represent the builders’ origins: a crescent for Türkiye, a cedar tree for Lebanon, and an eagle eating a snake for Mexico.
Researchers and academics in Mexico see the clock as more than just a timepiece. They view it as a monument to the connection between immigrant communities and Mexican society.
An inscription on the clock reads: "From the Ottoman Colony to Mexico. September 1910."
In 2010, when Mexico celebrated 200 years of independence, the clock was fully restored. The Turkish Cooperation and Coordination Agency (TIKA), along with the Turkish and Lebanese embassies, helped with the project. The restoration included the mosaics, bells, and the old clock mechanism.
Diplomatic representatives from Mexico, Türkiye, and Lebanon attended a ceremony to celebrate the end of the restoration.
A second inscription, added during the restoration, thanks everyone who helped with the renewal.
The square is in one of the most popular parts of Mexico City and is a main stop on tours of the historic center. With the 2026 World Cup bringing millions of visitors and Mexico City hosting the opening match, the plaza and its Ottoman landmark are likely to get new international attention.
The 2026 FIFA World Cup will be jointly hosted by the United States, Canada and Mexico.
Set as preferred source
Set as preferred source
1 min read
1 min read
