TEHRAN -  Mohammad-Ali Hamidinava, a traditional Iranian architect who constructed a landmark clock tower in Sari, has died. He was 90.

The clock tower, which replaced an older one in the northern Iranian city, the capital of Mazandaran province, was completed in 1978 following two years of work.

A fusion of Iranian and European architectural elements have been applied to the construction of the tower, which stands tall at Sa'at (clock) sq. of the city.

Long before we started constantly looking down at our phones or glancing at watches on our wrists, clock towers were the best way to find out the time.

Mechanical clocks were invented in the 13th century, but even before that civilizations had found a way to merge timekeeping and architecture with obelisks and sundials.

Today clock towers remain some of the most iconic structures in the world, and in some cases, such as the Elizabeth Tower (better known as Big Ben), are symbols of their cities. The functional designs provide information, add beauty to the skyline, and often provide a daily show of animated figures or bells.

AFM/