Big Ben Celebrates Its 160th Anniversary

One of London's iconic landmarks, the clock tower Big Ben, marks its 160th anniversary in silence. The reason is that the facility is under repair, according to bTV.

The 13.5 ton Great Bell was cast in the Whitechapel Foundry and first rang out in the capital on July 11 1859.

It has remained in place in the tower - formerly known as the Clock Tower and now the Elizabeth Tower to mark the Queen's Diamond Jubilee - as restoration of the clock continues, itv wrote.

Its four hands are polished, the iron elements are repaired, and the elaborate stone ornaments are cleaned and repaired. This is the most complex restoration program on the 96-meter tower. The 13-ton clock will remain in place for much of the repair that began in 2017 and will end in 2021. Most of the time it does not strike, with the bell sounding only on major events like the New Year.

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