Fountain of Ahmed III

Overview

Between Hagia Sophia and the Imperial Gate of Topkapı Palace, a small marble pavilion stands in the square under wide, curving eaves and five little domes. Almost every surface, also, is carved with flowers, vases and fruit, while golden verses run around its walls. So this is the Fountain of Ahmed III, whose inscription dates it to 1728–29, where for two centuries anyone could stop for a free cup of water or sherbet.

The Story of the Fountain of Ahmed III

A fountain of the Tulip Period

To begin with, Sultan Ahmed III built the fountain in 1728–29, during the years known as the Tulip Period, when the Ottoman court loved gardens, poetry and new decoration. It was, actually, an early and richly carved example of a new type of free-standing fountain in Istanbul. In the same year, the sultan also built a similar but simpler fountain in Üsküdar.

A meeting place

Back then, the fountain was also a social center, where people gathered on their way to and from the palace. Much later, it even appeared on the back of the Turkish 10-lira banknote from 1947 to 1952.

What to See at the Fountain of Ahmed III

The four sebils of the Fountain of Ahmed III

First, walk around the building. Overall, it is a large square block with a drinking fountain, or çeşme, in a carved niche on each side. Inside, at the center, an eight-sided pool supplied all of them with water.

Next, look at the four corners as well. Here, too, each corner holds a sebil behind three bronze grilles. Through them, attendants once handed out cups of water, or of sherbet.

A poem about water

After that, read the walls, at least with your eyes. Above each niche and sebil, for instance, plates of calligraphy framed in blue and red tiles carry a poem about water and its donor, written by Seyyid Hüseyin Vehbi, a chief judge of Aleppo and Kayseri. As a rule, it reads clockwise, starting at the northern sebil. Interestingly, the last verse is a chronogram composed by Ahmed III himself, whose letters also give the date.

The eaves

Finally, look up. Under the broad roof, in turn, the painted eaves and a frieze of tiles circle the whole building.

Tips for visiting the Fountain of Ahmed III

How to Visit the Fountain of Ahmed III

In practical terms, the fountain stands in the open square in front of the Imperial Gate of Topkapı Palace, just behind Hagia Sophia in Sultanahmet.

Afterward, pass through the gate to Hagia Irene in the first courtyard of the palace, or walk to the German Fountain on the old Hippodrome, a German gift unveiled in 1901.