The word courant is of French origin, translated as a stone cylindrical pestle, which used to rub paint on a stone slab. The second meaning is "running dance" (danse courante). At the beginning of the 18th century, this word began to be called a musical mechanism with a chiming in a tower clock.
St. Peter
In 1538, Europe's first mechanical tower clock with a huge dial was installed on St. Peter's Church in Zurich, Switzerland. The diameter of the dial is 8, 7 m, the length of the minute hand is 4 m. Erected near the trading square, they not only measured the time, but also informed the residents about the time for prayer, turning their thoughts to the eternal. Until now, they are the pride of the country's inhabitants.
Big Ben
In 1859, the most accurate and largest clock in the world was installed on St. Stephen's Tower at a height of 55 meters in London. The diameter of the dials installed on four sides was 7 m, the length of the hour and minute hands was 2 m 70 cm and 4 m 20 cm, respectively. Under each dial was a commemorative inscription glorifying Queen Victoria, during whose reign England reached its maximum development. The famous main bell was named Big Ben, either in honor of Benjamin Hall, an impressive construction manager, or in honor of Benjamin Count, a heavyweight boxer, an idol of his time.
The bell chime of Big Ben reproduces the following melody: "Through this hour the Lord keeps me …". After that, the first blow of the hammer heralds the beginning of a new hour. The error is no more than 1 second. Traditionally, the chime of Big Ben heralds the beginning of the New Year and is broadcast on the BBC radio at a specific time as a signal of the exact time. London at night is especially beautiful in the unforgettable light of Big Ben.
Other chimes of the world
In 2001 in Warsaw, on the 42nd floor of the Palace of Culture and Science, the world's tallest tower clock (at a height of 165 m) with a diameter of 6, 3 m was installed. This record is registered in the Guinness Book of Records.
In 2010, on the first day of Ramadan, a Muslim shrine, the main clock of Saudi Arabia, was launched. Square dials, each 40 m high, are located on four sides of the 600-meter tower, at a height of 406 m. This kind of Muslim Big Ben is recognized as the tallest in the world. The dials are lined with 98 million mosaics and are decorated with a gilded coat of arms. Above is inscribed - "Allah is great." At the hour of the adhan - a call to prayer - a sophisticated illumination system makes them visible not only within a radius of 30 km, but even from an airplane.
But if we still return to the original concept, assigned to the word "chimes" - a tower clock with striking, then London Big Ben still reserves the right to be called the largest chimes in the world.
