Fountains of Kütahya

The aim of this study is to touch on the chronical problems of the fountains built during Turkish – İslamic period located in Kütahya city centre and to document the architectural and ornamentation features. The city centre of Kütahya constitutes the geographical boundaries of this study. Within the scope of this study, the fountains built in Beyliks and Ottoman period in the city will be determined by field studies and examined in terms of art history. A great number of fountains were built in Kütahya during the period of Beylik of Germiyanids and Ottoman Empire however, only 28 of them have managed to reach our present day. Some of these fountains have lost their original characteristics and some have been partially ruined. Today, only fex examples such as "Hürriyet Fountain", "Çinili Fountain" and "Sakahane Fountain of Kütahya Great Mosque" are preserving their originality. Only one of the fountains of Kütahya was built during the period of Beylik of Germiyanids. All the remaining fountains are dated to the period of the Ottoman Empire. There are fountains without inscription in Kütahya fountains as well as with inscription. Furthermore, it has been determined that the fountain inscriptions have been destroyed and some of the fountain inscriptions were found to have no construction date. The fountains with unknown date of construction are dated on the basis of fountains with similar architectural and ornamental features in the near and distant geographies. Kütahya fountains have an important place in Ottoman architecture and fountain architecture with their unique architectural and ornamental features. After concluding a detailed literature research and field studies, the illustrations were drawn by measuring fountains and documented by photographs. Afterwards, it was interpreted by comparing these fountains with similar ones in the surrounding provinces and other areas in the Ottoman borders.