London, September 6 (Reuters)-The restoration of the "Big Ben" tower, the iconic British parliament building, is nearing completion, and the hands on its famous clock have now been restored to their original Prussian blue.

This 177-year-old tower has been covered by scaffolding since 2017, when artisans began to renovate its stone carvings, reglazed the four clock dials, and repainted the ironwork.

The 80 million pounds (111 million US dollars) restoration project will be completed next year, when the famous 13-ton Big Ben (which has been basically silent during the work) will ring again.

Workers stand on a scaffold under one of the clock faces of the Elizabeth Tower, usually called Big Ben, because the hands and dial can be seen returning to the original Prussian blue, and the renovation of the House of Parliament in London, England is continuing. September 6, 2021. Reuters/Toby Melville

Lindsey Hoyle said: "Although we all desire the sound of Big Ben to mark time, and we are also eager to remove the scaffolding from the tower-I think we will all reach an agreement at the unveiling ceremony next year. Our patience is worthwhile. ", the Speaker of the House of Commons.

While working on the 96-meter-high (315-foot) Elizabeth Tower, restorers discovered that the hands of the clock were originally painted blue instead of black.

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