A clock tower built in the late Ottoman era is missing its original clock, a recent restoration work uncovered. When authorities sought to restore the tower in the southern Turkish province of Antalya, they found out a cheap plastic clock was hung instead of the original one placed in the early 20th century.

It is not known who removed the clock but it is believed that the authentic piece was removed sometime in the late 1980s, shortly after repair work.

Cemil Karabayram, head of Antalya Governorate’s Cultural Assets department, told Anadolu Agency (AA) on Monday that the clock disappeared "either as a result of theft or went missing while it was removed (for earlier restoration) some way."

The clock tower was converted into its current state from a dilapidated part of Byzantine-era city walls in the province’s historic Kaleiçi district. During the reign of Abdülhamid II, the ninth-era tower joined proliferating clock towers across the empire with the addition of stone blocks and the clock.

When Antalya Governorate decided to restore it earlier this year, crews discovered that the clock, which went unnoticed for years, was actually a replacement. Karabayram said they believed that the original mechanism of the clock was removed in 1988 and none of the other "historic" parts around the clock were available. "We have no information about the fate of the clock in the archives," he lamented.

He said a metal piece was used to attach the current clock to its place, contrary to its historic nature, and its installation also led to cracks on stone blocks around it. "We are now reinforcing it and restoring the clock to its original chime and appearance," he said.