The evaluation of the Ottoman period inscriptions of İstanbul sebil and fountain in terms of form and content

By the conquest of the ancient city İstanbul in the fifteenth century which became the capital of the Ottoman Empire for many years we determined and discussed in the research carried out for this doctoral thesis the inscriptions of fountains and sebils in terms of form and content that was built until the end of the XVIII. century and reached to the present. In order to create a selective catalog among the existing works, we discussed the examples in which we tried to reveal the differences by evaluating the inscriptions with their ornaments, by theological and literary perspective. In our catalog, which consists of 143 fountains and sebils, detailed information is given about the architecture and decoration of the works, in which the inscriptions are explained in detail with their ornamental features. In addition to the changes in the architectural, ornamental and stylistic features of these buildings, which increased in number with the Tulip Period, which covered a short period of about twelve years in the XVIII. century, the differences and similarities observed in their inscriptions in terms of form and content, as well as the reflections of identities, were also discussed in the evaluation section of the transcribed poems. In this study, which was carried out in almost all districts of Istanbul without any restrictions, these structures, most of which were built for charity and necessity, also reflect the aesthetic understanding of Ottoman culture and art, carry values that appeal to the spirituality of the society with their contentful inscriptions, many of which developed over the centuries has been tried to reveal which themes were handled in the poems that were written by the notable poets of its period. Thus, by examining the works covering much longer periods than the researches made on the subject so far, the inscriptions that can be qualified as the identity of these works have been studied in more detail than ever in terms of ornament and content, and it is aimed to bring our study, which is supported by the old and current photographs that can be accessed, to the scientific world. Thus, by recording these small-scale structures and their inscriptions in Istanbul, we will ensure that their cultural, artistic and spiritual value is noticed and understood. Keywords: Ottoman period, İstanbul, Fountain, Sebil, Inscription, Ornament