Author
The name of the architect is unknown, but it can be inferred that the building was built during the construction of Topkapi Palace (the Topkapi Palace) by the chief architect, Mehmed Agha, from Kayseri, the same one who painted the pillars and mashrabiyas with gold.
Author Original
اسم المعمار غير معروف، ولكن يمكن الاستدلال أن المبنى تمَّ تشييده خلال فترة بناء قصر توبكابي الباب العالي على يد كبير المعمارين محمد آغا، من قيصري، وهو نفسه الذي طلى الساريات والمشربيات بالذهب
Publication Date
1141 / 1729
Type
Other
Language
Undetermined
Digital
Yes
Manuscript
No
Library
Museum With No Frontiers
Record ID
monument;ISL;tr;Mon01;33;ar
Library Location
Sultanahmet, Istanbul, Türkiye
Date
1141 / 1729
Notes
The Ahmed III Reservoir is located between the grandiose gate of the Topkapi Palace and the Hagia Sophia Museum. It is a square-shaped building with a water fountain at each corner, and in its center there is an octagonal water tank surrounded by a corridor. In the middle of each facade there is a fountain crowned with a pointed arch surrounded on each side by a skylight crowned with stalactites. On the back side, there are two gates that allow entry to the sabil and occupy the place of the two kotin. In the semicircular corners, the sabil is surrounded by a low wall about a meter high. These walls are supported by four columns connected by arches. The surfaces between the columns and arches are closed by metal mashrabiyas. The walls above the mashrabiyas also take a semicircular shape. The entire building is covered by a wooden roof that protrudes greatly outward. This lead-plated roof is crowned by five wooden domes rising above octagonal necks; the largest dome is in the middle, and the four smaller ones are distributed in the corners above the water fountains. These domes are also armored with lead and crowned with bronze posts. Gilded. As for the decorative design, it is clearly based on the Wuxi. The marble facades are all decorated with various forms of Turkish and European art. The decorations include bands of muqarnas, arabesques, and palmateel designs. It is worth noting the presence of metal foil formations surrounding the water fountains. On the facades and lower walls of the water fountains, you can also see roses in vases executed with slightly relief. There are also exceptional decorations that include Decorations of ceramic tiles and epigraphic inscriptions, and on lavender flowers on the mashrabiyas. The wide wooden lower surface of the protruding part of the roof is decorated with woodwork. The upper parts of the facades are decorated with box shapes, while above the water fountains in the corners appear different types of flowers and fruits. Many fountains and water fountains were built during the so-called 'lavender era' (1130-1142 / 1718-1730), when the period of Ottoman art being influenced by the West began, when fountains, which until that time had been erected on walls or in courtyards, began to be built as independent structures. These fountains and water fountains, as new and different elements, can be considered the first buildings that reflect the external influence in Ottoman architecture. The tank and water fountain of Ahmed III are considered the most important square examples, in terms of its design and style of decoration, and it is an important edifice that expresses the transitional phase of the era. Classic Ottoman era to the era influenced by Western art.
Sample Text
“Ahmed III’s Water Tank and Spill” within Discover Islamic Art. Museum Without Borders, 2026. 2026. https://islamicart.museumwnf.org/database_item.php?id=monument;ISL;tr;Mon01;33;ar
