NIKI GAMM
ISTANBUL – Hürriyet Daily News
Historical fountains are being restored in Istanbul.
Practically everywhere in the older parts of Istanbul, there are fountains. Water was an integral part of city life, both for drinking and washing. Demonstrated by not only the fountains but also the aqueducts that brought fresh water from afar and the cisterns where it was collected and the fountains capping underground springs in various neighborhoods.
Once pipes were laid throughout the city, the old Ottoman fountains were no longer necessary and the sites where once water was distributed and passersby could get a refreshing drink, sank into disuse despite of the fact many of these fountains bore the names of important people from sultans to mothers of sultans and from grand viziers to paşas.
These fountains received attention, thanks to a bomb planted at Valide Çeşmesi (Sultan Mother’s Fountain, Macka) in the first half of the 1980s. The early morning explosion did not just wake up the neighborhood but alerted many people in Istanbul to the dilapidated state of its fountains. The damage to the fountain was serious but not critical and it was quickly restored.
There were still hundreds of other fountains in need of repair. Slowly but surely a number of municipalities and companies became involved in the repair and restoration work. It is only since the Justice and Development Party, or AKP, came to power locally and nationally that restoration of fountains was regarded as important.
The Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality has been involved in some of the repair work as have a number of municipalities like Eyüp, Fatih and Beyoğlu.
The Beyoğlu Municipality’s Technical Affairs directorate began work on restoring fountains in 2007. In that year, 22 fountains were restored and in 2008 five and in 2010 17 fountains.
Beyoğlu Mayor Ahmet Misbah Demircan announced that on finding and restoring historical fountains will continue unabated this year and will include the fountains of Silahtaraga Yahya Efendi, Kethuda Yusuf Efendi and Sultan Mahmut II. He and many others believe it is important that Ottoman era fountains be preserved for future generations.
Among the restored works are the Topçu İsmail Aga Fountain at Firuzağa, the Corner Fountain on Susam Street, the Lale Beşir Ağa Fountain on Asmalımescit Street, the Yusuf Efendi Fountain and Sebil on Meclisi Mebusan Boulevard.
(Source: www.hurriyetdailynews.com )