Fountains were remarkable buildings in ancient cities. First, their functional aspect as water suppliers made them essential to daily life. Then, under the Roman Empire, they gradually acquired a role as ornamentation of the space and as a manifestation of the political discourse that modified their architecture and appearance. Because of these dual characteristics, both functional and decorative, fountains, especially monumental fountains, are very appropriate buildings for conducting an analysis of urban space and its perception. Where were the fountains located in the city? How did they fit into the architectural framework? Who frequented them on a daily basis? How did they evolve over time? This article argues that fountains were buildings in their own right, whose practical and decorative functions must be considered in an equivalent way. Focusing on North Africa provinces, it looks at the perception of fountains in the city, as monumental buildings and constructions decorated with water, which is their raison d'être.
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Journal of Late Antiquity
"""Both their decorative façades and the cooling effect of flowing water caused fountains to have an extremely pleasing effect on the hot and crowded cities of the Eastern Mediterranean during the Imperial period. Wayfarers could enjoy the view, drink the water, rest on the railings and steps and relax for a moment or two before moving on. Libanius testified to the ongoing importance of water in the 4th century when he praised the abundant water resources of his native city Antioch-on-the-Orontes, claiming that ‘We surpass the beautiful waters of other cities by the abundance of ours’. In spite of this praise, Late Antique fountains have hitherto aroused little interest among scholars, although a multitude of studies have been devoted to their Imperial predecessors. General overviews on newly built Late Antique fountains as well as on the maintenance of earlier examples are still few and far between. Indeed, the majority of existing studies tend to focus on monumental fountains in the original building phase, thoughtlessly dismissing subsequent structural, decorative and technical alterations or vaguely designating them as occurring in a ‘Byzantine building phase’. Yet, because these fountains were still functioning well into Late Antiquity, they remained an integral part of the cityscape for the centuries that followed. Recently, the renewed interest in the evolution of the urban fabric and water supply networks in Late Antiquity – for instance at Aphrodisias, Sagalassos, Ephesus, Laodikeia and Gortyn – has resulted in the publication of studies on previously unknown monumental fountains as well as in the restudy of others. This article intends to combine the results of such isolated studies and to present a comprehensive overview of fountains in the Eastern Mediterranean of Late Antiquity, with a strong focus on Asia Minor and Greece. The aim is to outline the appearance of newly built fountains as well as to sketch the energy invested in the maintenance of earlier ones. Moreover, the utilitarian function of fountains and their meaning within the Late Antique cityscape will be examined. Finally, we wish to address broader issues such as the presumed reduced water supply reported in some cities of Late Antiquity and the importance of fountains for the decorative aspect of the urban fabric."""
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International Journal of Global Environmental Issues
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Conference "The Importance of Place" -BOOK OF CONFERENCE ABSTRACTS (CD-ROM) THE 4 TH INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE "THE IMPORTANCE OF PLACE"
Fountains have always been important elements of Istanbul’s urban image. In Ottoman Istanbul, which was a city of water, numerous palaces, mansions, squares, streets and corners were decorated with fountains throughout the centuries. While they were unable to adorn city squares with statues due to religious constraints, the Ottoman artists were nevertheless aware of the necessity of a guiding and scaling visual centre in the urban pattern. In order to resolve this problem, they used fountains to functional or monumental effect. The increase in the demand for water in the 15th century led to a growing diversification in fountain design. The economic advances of the second half of the 15th century ensured an increase in the water supplied to the city, which in turn prompted a significant number of fountains to be built in various styles up to the 19th century. The question is whether these fountains were built simply for the basic public use, or rather as symbols of the power and humanity of their patrons. The politicians, rich people or merchants who lived and worked in Istanbul, funded numerous fountains to show their political, social and economic power. These structures were also seen as endowments left to the world, in line with the notion of benefaction in the Islamic faith. Do all these remarkable buildings continue to serve their functions today whilst maintaining their aesthetic qualities? The issue of the upkeep of the fountains depends on whether the fountains belong to a foundation or not. If the mosque or complex funders had also funded a fountain, then the use and renovation instructions for the fountain were typically specified in the mosque or complex foundation rules (Vakfiye). The fountains which are not affiliated to a foundation are left to the local residents’ and users’ discretion. [4] The questions raised above have led us to focus on Üsküdar fountains from a specific point of view. Beside its historical significance, Üsküdar also became a transport hub which now connects Asia and Europe with the Marmaray Project (underwater metro line through Bosphorus). The construction of the Marmaray station entailed the redesign of Üsküdar square. The construction work initiated in 2004 has not yet to be finished even though the station was completed in 2013. Through the course of the construction, the environmental design of The Fountain of Ahmed III, a significant landmark in Üsküdar, has changed remarkably. The carriageways around the fountain have been repeatedly rearranged. The environmental design of this notable monument has not been finalised as yet. The chaotic process Ahmed III Fountain has been involved in highlights the need to identify the current conditions of the other historical fountains in Üsküdar urban pattern which traditionally assumed a lesser degree of significance. The fountains, which are in a designated area in Üsküdar city centre, have been documented through photographing and mapping. The photographs are important to determine the current state of the fountains while the map illustrates their distribution in the city scale. Overall, the aim of this study through this conference, is to draw attention to the historical fountains in danger of destruction in chaotic Üsküdar, now more than ever a critical transportation hub and an urban renewal area.
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American Journal of Archaeology
