German Fountain
The fountain located opposite the Tomb of Sultan Ahmed I in Sultanahmet Square, Istanbul. It was a gift from German Emperor Wilhelm II to Sultan Abdülhamid II and Istanbul. It was built in Germany and installed in its current location in Istanbul. It is a fountain in the Neo-Byzantine style, decorated with gold mosaics on the inside.
The German Fountain is a square fountain with a distinctive architecture that attracts attention. It was built in 1900 in a very central location, like Sultanahmet Square, the heart of Dersaadet, and was inaugurated in 1901 with the participation of German officials. In addition to its central location, it also stands in an important place in terms of our recent history. It has been a symbol of an extremely important period in Ottoman-German relations during the process leading up to the alliance in World War I. It was built by Emperor Wilhelm II of Germany with very valuable materials as a memento of his second visit to Ottoman lands, his meeting with Sultan Abdülhamid II, and Ottoman-German friendship, and was presented as a gift to the people of Istanbul. Although it was described as a memento of a visit or a gift to the people of Dersaadet, the fountain actually carried great political significance. Emperor Wilhelm II's insistence that the fountain be built in Sultanahmet Square, considered the center of Istanbul, was also an indication of this.
