Reloj Solar Multicaja-Zaragoza

On the southern end of Parque de Oriente in Zaragoza, Spain, stands the largest sundial in the world. Its gnomon—the piece at a center of a sundial that casts a shadow—measures 46 meters (151 feet) long, and reaches a height of more than 30 meters (98 feet).

The Reloj Solar Multicaja-Zaragoza is a horizontal clock that is made up of a gnomon, and a horizontal dial in the shape of an arc and embedded in the surrounding pavement. It was designed by civil engineer Juan Antonio Ros, who started working on the project in 2006. Two years later, Zaragoza City Council approved the project and settled on a space in Parque de Oriente. The gnomon was installed in the park in 2009, but the paved design that forms its dial was not completed until 2011.

When completed, Zaragoza’s sundial became the largest in the world. It claimed the title from the previous record holder, the Jantar Mantar, in Jaipur, India, which was created around 1730 and stands 27 meters (89 feet) tall.