The Prague Astronomical Clock is one of the city’s most beloved and admired attractions, a symbol of the Czech Republic and Prague.
It is located on the southern façade of the Town Hall and was built in 1410 by master clockmaker Hanus, later perfected by Jan Taborsky in the 16th century.
Legend has it that so that Hanus would not repeat his work in other European capitals, the councilors blinded him.
Its three fundamental elements are the Procession of the Apostles, the astronomical dial (upper), and the calendar dial (lower).
The Procession of the Apostles is located in the upper part of the astronomical clock and is an automatic mechanism where every hour (from 9:00 a.m. to 11:00 p.m.) the statues of the 12 Apostles move in procession through the two small windows.
The Astronomical Dial, shaped like an astrolabe, displays the positions of the Sun, the Moon, and the zodiac signs.
This dial displays the time in four different ways: Central European Time, indicated by the hand with the golden hand; Babbital Time, indicated by the position of the sun on the curved line of the dial; Old Bohemian Time, indicated by the hand with the golden star; and Lunar Time, indicated by the position of the moon on the celestial map.
During the Middle Ages, it was used to identify the correct position of the stars.
Babbital Time, or unequal time, does not divide the day into 24 hours of fixed length, but divides the daylight period into 12 equal parts. Since the length of the day varies with the seasons, a Babbital hour is longer in summer (about 80 minutes) and shorter in winter (about 40 minutes).
The Calendar Dial is located at the bottom of the clock and is decorated with medallions symbolizing the 12 months of the year and scenes of rural agricultural life.
