The removal of numerous sculptures from the Acropolis by Thomas Bruce, 7th Earl of Elgin, is a dark chapter in the monument’s history. Elgin used his influence as ambassador to the Ottoman Empire (1799-1803) to remove sculptures from various temples on the Acropolis without permission from the Sultan. He professed an interest in taking casts and drawings of the sculptures, only to plunder the monuments (1803, 1812). The fury of the Athenians forced him to ceremonially offer them a mechanical clock in the hope of appeasing their anger (1814). It became known as Elgin's Clock Tower and stood in the centre of the old bazaar of Athens (present-day Monastiraki). The four-faced clock suffered extensive damage during the Greek War of Independence and stopped working. It was finally demolished in 1884.