The fountain is made of solid marble, and inscribed on the side facing the square are verses by the famous Divan poet, Nedim. On the wall facing the mosque there are excerpts from the poet Rahmi, and on another wall are those from the poet Shakir. On the wall facing the Bosphorus one can read verses inspired by Ahmed III and his son-in-law, Nevşehirli Ibrahim Paşa, written in calligraphy by Ahmet III. There are many aspects and adornments of this fountain that give it a very different complexion. Among these are the many S and C curves used in its design, its badges on the niches of the polygonal prisma body, and how its polygonal body turns into square prisma after a certain height. A number of vases on which tulips, roses and chrysanthemums are used as motifs, used to decorate the side of the fountain, are viewed as the most beautiful samples of artistic workmanship on the fountain. In addition, other architectural beauties, such as muqarnases (a three-dimentional decoration of Islam architecture), lancet arches, and palmets add a brilliant aesthetic value to the fountain.

Today, the Fountain, which is located on the Main Street of Üsküdar where Hakimiyeti Milliye Street and Paşalimanı Street intersect, is one of the most beautiful fountains of Istanbul.

There are three faucets located on the northern side and an additional one on each of the other sides of this historical fountain. The faucets fitted on opposite sides of the fountain with rectangular parallelepiped blocks are decorated with S and C curves, adding an artistic aesthetic to the fountain. Decorated niche pendentives having a rectangular panel board in which an inscription of six verses are form the surface of board. This inscription indicates the construction date of the fountain. There are two basins placed on buttresses which are built in a reverse bell-shaped style on both the northern and western corners of the fountain. There is also a watering hole with three divisions on the southern corner.

The namazgâh platform, whose prayer terrace was constructed on top of the fountain itself, is accessible by a staircase on the northern side of the fountain and has a special importance in terms of showing the importance of cleanliness in Islamic culture.

Photo by Niyazi Uğur Genca

It was officially opened on the birthday of German Emperor Wilhelm II, January 27, 1901, built in Germany, then transported piece by piece and assembled in its current site in 1900. The Neo- Renaissance style fountain’s octagonal dome has eight marble columns, and dome’s interior is covered with golden mosaics. The Neo-Renaissance style octagonal fountain stood on a high floor, eight stairs, seven brass tap and over its reservoir there is a dome which has eight porphyry columns. Exterior bronze green dome is standing over eight porphyry columns, and dome’s interior is surface decorated with golden mosaics and again with Abdülhamid II’s tughra and Wilhelm II’s symbol.

The archs that are between columns which show the deep-rooted friendship between Turkey and Germany and situated in Sultanahmet Square, became the artistic value of the fountain.

Monumental standing of the structure on which marks of  transition from classical type to baroque are seen in its decoration, helped to be one of  the highlighted architectural elements in the area where it was located.

Photo by Niyazi Uğur Genca

Among fountains  which was built in square shape in Istanbul, this fountain’s wide eaves reflecting baroque marks and aesthetic harmony of  the sharp arched niches used in the Ottoman architecture of the classical period, it shelters spectacular forms of architecture.

Naturalists motifs of the Tophane Fountain that consists of flowers clustered in vases have differential feature of naturmort style. The fountain is a work of transition period and it is  shows as the most beautiful architectural samples of this style in that period. This important work was restored by Sakasu, a Sabancı Group company, in 2006 put into service of the people of Istanbul. During this restoration works, the rich ornaments of the fountain were enriched by 23 karat golden leaf with an area of 40 squared meters and the fountain was put into service with a magnificent opening ceremony with the participation of Kadir Topbas, Mayor of Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality and Güler Sabancı, CEO of Sabancı Group.