Most often, the people of Iquique talking about his hometown - "glorious Iquique", "land of champions" ... the language of the Aymara "ikiiki" means "dream place" or "place of rest". In principle, it is not only beautiful for the determination of the city, but also part of its history. That is the historic center of the city of Iquique is one of the most interesting places in the capital of the Tarapaca de Chile.

Tour Arturo Prat Square and adjacent streets, no doubt, is the best way to learn the city, protected by the sea and the desert. When you stand on the square of Prato, the first thing that stands out, the clock tower (height 25 m), which is one of the main symbols of the city. Its construction was approved by the Mayor Benigno Posada and the public by the city council in 1877. Clock tower replaced the church that was destroyed by fire in 1873.

Watches, which are mounted on the tower, were ordered to jeweler Federico Franz. Watch arrived from England in 1878 aboard the ship "Ibis". They point out every quarter of an hour ringing a small bell, and each hour bounces sound of the big bell.

Construction of the tower was designed and made of Oregon pine in the autumn of 1878 by the architect Eduardo de Lapeyrousom. And arrived hours could last for about three months before the start of the Pacific War (1879-1883). In October 1880 the Clock Tower was miraculously saved from a fire that destroyed much of the center of Iquique. As a result of the fire the central square of the city, which is known as the area of ​​Prat, in the south and west of several expanded.

The style of the tower itself eclectic, combining elements of Gothic and elements of Islamic architecture. On the four sides of the building of the tower are beautiful arches - echoes of Moorish art. At the foundation of the structure was a bust of Arturo Prat.

In 1987, the Clock Tower was declared a national monument of Chile.