Historic fountains of Mardin under restoration

MARDİN

The historic fountains on the streets of the eastern province of Mardin, a city that serves as an open-air museum with its rich historical and cultural heritage, are being restored true to their original designs.

Upon the instruction of the governor and deputy mayor of the metropolitan municipality, Tuncay Akkoyun, the Mardin Metropolitan Municipality’s Department of Urban Aesthetics identified 40 fountains in the protected area of the central Artuklu district. These fountains belong to the first group of registered structures and have remained standing for centuries with running water.

As part of works to preserve and pass on these fountains to future generations, restoration and maintenance work began on five stand-alone fountains located in the Maristan, Cevheriye, Saray, Ayn Ceviz and Semerciler bazaars.

Abdullah Yenigün, Head of the Department of Urban Aesthetics at Mardin Metropolitan Municipality, told the state-run Anadolu Agency that they began restoration and maintenance on the fountains, which are among the most important elements of the city’s historical texture.

Yenigün emphasized their goal of preserving the historical city as a whole and transmitting it faithfully to future generations, saying, “Mardin, with its thousands of years of history, stone craftsmanship, narrow streets, madrasas and, of course, the historic fountains that give the city its soul, is a place of great cultural heritage. We started this project under the direction of our governor to pass this heritage on in its original form. We are currently restoring the large, independent fountains from the first group of registered structures. There are around 40 fountains in Mardin. We began with five of them in the first stage. These are the fountains that have suffered more damage and are used more frequently. Our goal is to contribute to the preservation of our historical and cultural heritage.”

Yenigün added that they are doing their best in the protected area as part of Mardin’s journey toward UNESCO recognition and stressed the importance of these fountains for the city.

“The Maristan Fountain is about 900 years old. None of these fountains have lost their flow rate and are still in use. These fountains shouldn’t be thought of as just stones. They are also part of the city’s social and cultural memory. In the past, people would gather around these fountains to talk and engage in various activities. We are making every effort to preserve this heritage and strengthen these social functions. We hope to pass on the Maristan Fountain, which has been flowing for nearly a thousand years, to future generations.”

Yenigün also mentioned that they are working to identify the water flow directions for fountains that no longer run, with the goal of restoring their water supply as well.

Witnessing 900 years of history

Mehmet Erginoğlu, the headman of the Eminettin neighborhood, said that two historic fountains, Maristan and Ayn Mesut, are located in their area.

He explained that the Maristan Fountain was built in 1104 by the first Artuqid Sultan Necmettin Ilgazi and his brother, Emineddin.

“It witnessed 900 years of history and features a double arch. Our governor’s office and metropolitan municipality are currently restoring it. On behalf of my neighborhood, I thank them. It makes us happy to see a fountain that speaks to history rather than one left to decay,” he said.