The Arusha Clock Tower, standing at the central roundabout on India Street, is the practical and symbolic heart of the city. Every direction in Arusha is measured from this point, and the safari tours and bus services all depart from the streets radiating outward from here. The tower itself is modest — a colonial-era structure, repainted and still functioning — but its location makes it the city's natural meeting place.
What makes it worth a deliberate visit is the claim, marked on the plinth, that this is the exact halfway point of the Cape-to-Cairo journey. At approximately 6,000 kilometres from each end, the claim is roughly accurate. The roads south to Cape Town and north to Cairo are both extraordinary journeys; standing here and imagining them in both directions gives the roundabout more weight than it would otherwise carry.