Cunningham Clock Tower

Cunningham Clock Tower, Bazar Kalan, Peshawar

Western Approach toward Clock Tower, Old City

The Cunningham Clock Tower, also known locally as Ghanta Ghar, is a colonial-era clock tower situated in the heart of the old city of Peshawar. It is located at a key intersection in the Bazar Kalan area of the Walled City, with connecting roads leading west to Chowk Yadgar and the Mahabat Khan Mosque, and eastward to Sethi Muhalla and the Gor Khatri complex. These landmarks collectively form part of the heritage trail of Old Peshawar.

Architecture of the Clock Tower

View of the Clocktower in Bazar Kalan, Old Peshawar

The clock tower was constructed in 1900 to commemorate the Diamond Jubilee of Queen Empress Victoria of India. A plaque installed at the base of the tower reads: “The Cunningham Clock Tower: Presented to the City of Peshawar by Lala Balmukand Dooja, Banker and Commercial Contractor of Peshawar in Commemoration of the Diamond Jubilee of Majesty The Queen Empress of India, 1900.” This inscription confirms that the tower was funded by the Balmukand family, prominent local philanthropists and contractors.

The structure was designed by James Strachan, who served as the municipal engineer in Peshawar at the time. Though originally constructed to honor Queen Victoria, the tower was eventually named after Sir George Cunningham, a British civil servant who held administrative posts in the region. Positioned at a prominent urban chowk, the clock tower not only functioned as a civic monument but also became a recognizable landmark in the city's colonial landscape.

Today, the Cunningham Clock Tower continues to serve as a central point in the old city’s street grid and remains one of Peshawar’s most prominent colonial-era structures. Its historical placement, commemorative origin, and architectural authorship by Strachan place it firmly within the narrative of British urban development in Peshawar.