Prague City Hall is marking the 600 anniversary of its famous Astronomical
Clock, also known as Orloj, one of the city’s biggest tourist
attractions. The oldest part of the Orloj, the mechanical clock and
astronomical dial, dates back to 1410 when it was made by clockmaker
Mikuláš of Kadaň and Jan Šindel, a professor of mathematics and
astronomy at Charles University. Later, presumably around 1490, a calendar
dial was added and the clock facade was decorated with gothic sculptures.
To mark the anniversary Prague City Hall has mounted a big screen on its
southern wall where people can watch a documentary about the clock’s
history.