Al-Jazari’s Elephant Clock  

The elephant clock was a medieval invention by al-Jazari (1136–1206), consisting of a weight powered water clock in the form of an Asian elephant., derived from earlier Indian clocks. The various elements of the clock are in the housing (howdah) on top of the elephant. They were designed to move and make a sound each half-hour.

A modern full-size working reproduction can be found as a centrepiece in the Ibn Battuta Mall, a shopping mall in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. Another working reproduction can be seen outside the Musée d'Horlogerie du Locle, Château des Monts, in Le Locle, Switzerland.

In addition to its mechanical innovations, the clock itself is seen as an early example of multiculturalism represented in technology. The elephant represents the Indian culture, and the turban represents Islamic culture.