- The Water Clock
Dar al-Magana (Arabic for “clockhouse”) is a house in Fes, Morocco, built by the Marinid Sultan Abu Inan Faris which holds a weight powered water clock. Cafe Clock is situated on Derb al-Magana alongside the clockhouse and is so named because of this fascinating landmark.
The muwaqqit Abou al-Hassan Ibn Ali Ahmed Tlemsani was responsible for building this water clock which was finished on 6 may 1357. The clock consists of 13 windows and platforms designed to carry brass bowls. The bowls have been removed since 2004 and the clock mechanism is presently being reconstructed by ADER, a foundation for the reconstruction of monuments in Fes.
The motion of the clock was presumably maintained by a kind of small cart which ran from left to right behind the twelve doors. The cart was at one end attached to a rope with a hanging weight, at the other end to a rope with a weight that floated on the surface of a water reservoir that was drained at a regular pace. Each hour one of the doors opened. At the same time a metal ball was dropped into one of the twelve brass bowls. The rafters sticking out of the building above the doors (identical to the rafters of the Bou Inania) support a small roof designed to shield the doors and bowls.
Dar al-Magana is just one of the many wonders awaiting visitors to Fes. Opposite the water clock is the Bou Inania Madrasa, another ‘must see’ historical site on your tour of the Medina.
Take a pause from these stunning architectural sites and refresh the senses with a mint tea atop the terrace of Cafe Clock. Those musicians, singers and jugglers amongst you are welcome to play throughout the cafe all day.
