Big Ben

Big Ben is a very tall clock tower located in London, UK. The tower is officially called the Elizabeth Tower. It is a part of the Palace of Westminster. Originally the term ‘Big Ben’ referred to the biggest bell inside the tower but over the years, people started referring to the entire tower as Big Ben. It was completed in 1859. It has 4 clock faces, one on each side. At night all the four clock faces are illuminated by light bulbs. There are 5 bells in Big Ben. 4 out of these 5 bells chime every 15 minutes. These are called the quarter bells. The fifth bell which is the biggest of the five, chimes every hour, and it is called the ‘Great Bell’. This clock is not powered by electricity. It is wound 3 times a week with the help of machines.