Water Fountains
The German Fountain
A gazebo styled fountain in the northern end of old hippodrome in Istanbul, Turkey, The German Fountain was constructed to commemorate the second anniversary of German Emperor Wilhelm II’s visit to Istanbul in 1898. The celebrated fountain is located across the Mausoleum of Sultan Ahmed I. Although it was built in Germany, it was transported piece by piece and assembled in its current site in 1900. Marble, stone and gem parts of the fountain were constructed in Germany and transported piece by piece to Istanbul by ships. The fountain is of neo-Byzantine style having an octagonal dome with eight marble columns with the interior of the dome covered with golden mosaics.

The fountain's plans were drawn by architect Spitta and constructed by German architects Schoele, Carlitzik and Italian architect Joseph Anthony. The fountain was actually built by the German Government in their interest on the oil wealth of the Ottoman Empire. Abdülhamid II's secret service believed that German archeologists in the German Emperor Wilhelm II’s retinue were in fact geologists with designs on the oil and later uncovered a German report noting the richness of the oilfields in Mosul, northern Mesopotamia compared to that in the Caucuses. The German Government constructed the German Fountain for Wilhelm II and Empress Augusta's 1898 Istanbul visit.

The construction of the German fountain according to the Ottoman inscription was in the Hejira 1319 (1898-1899) while the inauguration of fountain was planned to take place on September 1, 1900 which was the 25th anniversary of Abdülhamid II's ascension to the throne. However, the fountain was not completed on time and instead the inauguration took place on January 27, 1901. This was Wilhem II’s birthday.

Interestingly, on the site where the German Fountain was constructed was a tree which is known as Vakvak Tree or The Bloody Plane. Accordingly, in the 1656 janissary rebellion, Mehmed IV gave demanded persons to the rebellious. Then the killed ones were hanged on the Plane in Hippodrome. The plane which was named after Seçere-i Vakvak or Vakvak Tree is believed to be in Jahannam with human heads as its fruits.

The German Fountain is a neo-Byzantine style octagonal water fountain. It stands on a high floor, eight stairs, and seven brass tap. There is a dome over its reservoir which has eight porphyry columns. The reservoir is quite interesting given that it is standing on mosaic tiled platform and it is surrounded with bronze dome and carved marble. Also, there are eight monograms in the stonework and they represent political union of Abdülhamid II and Wilhelm. Eight medallions are found on the arches between the columns with four of these bearing Abdülhamid II's tughra in the green background while the others bear Wilhelm's symbol "W" written on Prussia blue background. An exterior bronze green dome is standing over the eight porphyry columns, and dome's interior is surface decorated with golden mosaics and again with Abdülhamid II's tughra and Wilhelm II's symbol.

There is a bronze inscription on the reservoir written in German which says, "Wilhelm II Deutscher Kaiser Stiftete Diesen Brunnen In Dankbarer Erinnerung An Seinen Besuch Bei Seiner Majiestaet Dem Kaiser Der Osmanen Abdul Hamid II Im Herbst Des Jahres 1898" meaning "German Kaiser Wilhelm II, who constructed this fountain in 1898 autumn, as a gratitude remembrance for his visit to Ottoman Sultan Abdülhamid II". An Ottoman inscription is also present in the arch of fountain bearing the Undersecretary of Seraskery Ahmet Muhtar Bey's eight couplet history verse is written by Hattat Izzet Efendi. In the verse, the construction of the German Water Fountain for commemorating the visit to the Istanbul Wilhelm II is told in lines.