Fountain of Sultan Ahmed III (Istanbul, Turkey) : The area above the corner window, depicting Arabic writing

Creator:

unknown (Islamic)

Published/Created:

Istanbul, Marmara, Turkey
1728-1729

Date Depicted:

10/21/1997
1700 AD - 1799 AD

Materials:

marble
stone
wood

Notes:

The great square fountain is a Rococo building in front of the palace gate that was built under Sultan Ahmed III in 1728. It was a social centre and gathering place. Each of the four façades contain a drinking fountain (cesme), flanked by niches and decorated in low relief with foliate and floral designs. On each corner is a triple-grilled sebil (water tank from which an attendant issued cups of water from behind a grille). Above the drinking fountains is an elegant frieze with a long poem in calligraphy, dedicated to water, framed in blue and red bands. The roof is formed by a central dome, rising from an octagonal drum, and a little turret on each of the four corners. The ceiling is elaborately panelled. "Fuelled by the enthusiastic reports of Mehmed Yermisekiz Celebi (d 1732), ambassador plenipotentiary to the French court, the Ottomans avidly adopted European styles. Ahmed is also known for building fountains in the capital city. With their characteristic Tulip Period decoration of marble low reliefs carved with images of vases of flowers and spiralling rinceaux, and the delicate silhouettes of their wide eaves and tiny decorative domes, they include the large fountain building (1728-1729) at the gate of Topkapı Palace.

Variant Titles:

Ahmet Çeşmesi

Topics:

Architecture -- Turkey -- 18th century -- (YVRC)

Period/Style:

Ottoman

Culture:

Islamic
Turkish

Accession Number:

1A3-I-T-FA-E4

Genre:

architecture (AAT)
fountains (AAT)

Format:

Image

Content Type:

Sculptures, Models, & Architecture

Rights:

Copyright Scott Gilchrist, Archivision, Inc
The use of this image may be subject to the copyright law of the United States (Title 17, United States Code) or to site license or other rights management terms and conditions. The person using the image is liable for any infringement.

Access Restrictions:

Yale Community Only

Digital:

architectural exteriors; rulers and leaders; Fountains carving ; construction built works; hydraulic structures; water distribution structures; fountains Arabic Calligraphy

Source Creator:

Gilchrist, Scott

Source Title:

Archivision Module Two

Source Created:

2878 Chamonix, Montreal QC
Archivision, Inc.
10/21/1997

Source Note:

Purchase, Visual Resources Collection, May, 2011; photographer Scott Gilchrist

Yale Collection:

Visual Resources Collection

Digital Collection:

Visual Resources Collection

Local Record Number:

4152

OID:

10169828

PID:

digcoll:1846176