To celebrate its 600th anniversary in 2010, a 3D light show played over the tower and faces of the Prague Orloj, with high definition animations showing events in its history. Twenty-first century innovation was honouring the cutting-edge technology of the early 15th century, but Prague's beautiful astronomical clock doesn't really need new-fangled bells and whistles to give crowd appeal. It is still the most popular and distinctive attraction in the city's Old Town Square. Although is dates from a period of politics turmoil in Prague, the clock is a miraculous legacy from the medieval city's golden era, when the Holy Roman Emperor Charles IV made it his capital. Prague became the empire's economics and cultural centre and the foundation of Charles University in 1348 turned into a hub European learning. Charles IV also oversaw a vast expansion of the city, but the clock is the oldest part, overlooking the tenth century marketplace from the wall of the Old Town Hall, s building erected by Charles's father, John of Luxembourg.
The clock and astronomical dial - in effect an astrolabe - was made in1410. It was the work of the clock maker Mikulas of Kadan, based on the calculation of Jan Sindel, professor of maths and astronomyat the university. The sun and mood circle around the still earth in the centre os the dial, while the sun also moves around the zodiac and the moon indicates its phases. The sun and the golden hand on its arm point to the time in various ways: on 24-hour dial and as a period of daylight divided into 12 'unequal hours' - longer in summer shorter in winter. Beneath the clock is the calender flanked by four carved figure: a chronicles, an angel, an astronomer and a philosopher. But the figure the crowds gather every day to see are the moving ones, which go into action on each hour.
Four seedy 17th century characters stands beside the clock: Vanity admiring his reflection, a miser clutching his bag of gold, a turbaned Turk and skeletal death, who rings his bell and eyes his hourglass. Above them the 12 Apostles added in 1860s, peer out as they shimmy past their two doordays, and finally a golden cockerel crows to signal the end of the show.
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| Prague Astronomical Clock |
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| Prague Astronomical Clock |
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| Carved figure in Prague Astronomical Clock |
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| Prague Astronomical Clock Tower |
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