“Arusha's clock tower is said to stand at the exact midpoint of Africa, roughly halfway between Cape Town and Cairo, given to the city by a local Greek resident.”
About Clock Tower
The Clock Tower was donated to Arusha in the 1940s by a member of the city's Greek immigrant community, who were prominent in local business. The popular tradition that it marks the halfway point of the Cape-to-Cairo axis fixed it in the city's identity. Arusha later gained international standing as the seat of the East African Community and a UN war-crimes tribunal.
The Clock Tower
The Clock Tower is a landmark monument standing at a central roundabout in Arusha, the northern Tanzanian city that is the entry point to the Serengeti, Ngorongoro and Kilimanjaro. A slim white tower with a clock on each face, it is the city's best-known meeting point and a favourite reference for directions.
The Clock Tower is a landmark monument standing at a central roundabout in Arusha, the northern Tanzanian city that is the entry point to the Serengeti, Ngorongoro and Kilimanjaro.
Halfway Down Africa
The tower's claim to fame is geographic. It is popularly said to mark the midpoint of the old Cape-to-Cairo route, roughly halfway between Cape Town at the southern tip of Africa and Cairo in the north. The monument was a gift to the city from a member of the local Greek community in the 1940s, and that halfway-down-Africa story has made it a symbol of Arusha's position at the heart of the continent and of the safari world.
The Experience
The tower is a brief stop rather than a destination, a simple white monument at a busy roundabout surrounded by curio shops, safari operators and the bustle of the city. Visitors generally photograph it in passing as they organise safaris or climbs, using it as the orientation point it has always been for Arusha.
Why It Matters
As the symbolic centre of Arusha, the Clock Tower marks the staging post for the great safari circuit of northern Tanzania, the launch point for journeys to the Serengeti, Ngorongoro and Kilimanjaro. The Cape-to-Cairo legend ties this single monument to the whole length of the African continent.
As the symbolic centre of Arusha, the Clock Tower marks the staging post for the great safari circuit of northern Tanzania, the launch point for journeys to the Serengeti, Ngorongoro and Kilimanjaro.
Why Visit
Visit as a quick orientation stop in Arusha, the gateway city to Tanzania's northern safari circuit, and for its claim to mark the midpoint of Africa.
✦ Insider Tips
- 1
Use it to orient yourself; locals give directions relative to the tower.
- 2
Surrounding streets are full of safari operators and curio shops.
- 3
Arusha is the base for Serengeti, Ngorongoro and Kilimanjaro trips.
