Ablution fountain (şadırvan)

The ablution fountain, known in Turkish as the şadırvan, is the water structure used for ritual washing, most often placed in the courtyard of a mosque. A central water tank is ringed with taps, and low stone seats sit in front of them. Set at the centre of the courtyard or on the entrance axis, it becomes one of the main focal points of the mosque layout.

Parts and form

• Tank: the usually polygonal marble or stone body that holds the water.
• Taps and foot basins: on the outer faces of the tank, in front of the seats.
• Seats: low stone benches for those performing ablutions.
• Roof: a dome or timber canopy with deep eaves carried on columns.
• Ornament: carving, inscriptions and grilles on the faces of the tank.

Water supply and setting

The fountain is more than the visible object in the courtyard. It depends on infrastructure that brings and distributes water, through supply lines and distribution structures, and on channels that carry used water away. Documenting a şadırvan therefore also means investigating the water system under the courtyard paving. Where it is roofed, the dome or canopy on columns shapes the silhouette of the courtyard too.

The şadırvan in surveys and restoration

Constant contact with water leads to erosion of the marble, limescale build-up and damage from the plumbing. Roofs may have been rebuilt or replaced over time. Restoration plans new plumbing alongside the protection of the original tank and taps, and surface cleaning uses methods that do not harm the stone. In a 3D model, the polygonal body, its roof and its relationship to the courtyard together set the true scale of the structure.