The Fountain of Ahmed III (Sultan 3 Ahmed Çeşmesi) is a large historical fountain in Istanbul, located in a pavilion in the style of Ottoman Rococo, and is one of the top attractions of the city.
There is another monumental fountain of Ahmed 3 in the Usküdar district Istanbul (on the Asian side of the city).
The Ahmed 3 Fountain in Sultanahmet is the most striking example in the history of Turkish art, modified in the 18th century under the influence of the West, among similar square fountains in the city.
The fountain is also considered a masterpiece of Ottoman fountain architecture and stands out against the background of the surrounding buildings of the historical center of Istanbul - Baroque style with rich color decor.
The fountain was erected in 1728 on the site of the Byzantine fountain Perayton, during the reign of Sultan Ahmed III, in whose honor it got its name.
The fountain is a large square block of white marble with a domed roof with five small domes, luxurious decorations and paintings.
The overall image of the fountain looks like a richly decorated casket.
The facade of each of the four sides of the fountain is decorated in its own way, with curls, vines and flowers.
At each outer corner of the pavilion, three barred windows (shebil) are notable, through which glasses of water or sherbet were given out free of charge.
Fountains are located in the niches of the pavilion, above which there are large calligraphic plates with stanzas from a poem dedicated to water and philanthropist Seyid Hussein Wehbi ben Ahmed, the chief qadi of Aleppo and Kayseri. The poem is read clockwise around the fountain, starting from the northern shebil. The last stanza of the poem on the northwest facade depicts the chronogram of Sultan Ahmed III.
Practical information
Ahmed Fountain 3 is located in the historical heart of Istanbul, in Sultanahmet district (Sultanahmet), on a large square in front of the gate Topkapi Palace (Topkapı Sarayı) and near Hagia Sophia Mosque.
Fountain Square was one of the public centers of the city during the Ottoman Empire.
You can get to the Ahmed III Fountain on foot from the ferry piers near Galata Bridge; from the tram stop T1 "Sultanahmet"; from the metro station Vezneciler (green line M2) on foot about 2.3 kilometers. You can also get there by taxi, rented car, or by taking a tour on the Istanbul Hop-On Hop-Off tour bus (there are tickets for 1, 2 or 3 days).
Tickets for the Istanbul sightseeing bus can be purchased here →
All accommodation facilities in Istanbul, including in the historical center of the city and more remotely from it, can be viewed and booked here
