The faithful water carriers sakka

However inconvenient this arrangement may seem, it was always a pleasing sight to see groups of women and children gathered towards evening about the fountain (Tchesmfc) of their district to fill graceful, bright-coloured pitchers at the gushing faucets, and then to wend homewards. It took one far back in the ways of the world, and was a bit of the country in the town. Nor are the faithful water- carriers (sakka) forgotten, who brought water in great leathern vessels, shaped like a blunderbuss, hung horizontally by a strap from the left shoulder, and who poured the contents into a large earthen-ware vessel within your house. The aqueducts of Valens, Justinian, and other Byzantine Emperors, as well as the Basilica Cistern Batan Serai) still act their part in furnishing the city with water.

Until recently, the only other source of water- supply was either rain-water led from the roof into a cistern built under the house, or water brought in barrels from springs in the surrounding country. The introduction of water from the Lake of Derkos, which lies dose to the Black Sea, to the west of the Bosporus, has been a great boon to the dty, but it is not in favour for drinking purposes.

Oriental Art in the dty

The most interesting fountains are those known as Sebil, generally pious foundations, and next to the mosques and turbehs, the best specimens of Oriental Art in the dty. The finest example of this form of fountain is the well-known Fountain of Sultan Achmed III. (1703-1780), which stands to the east of S. Sophia, near the Grand Entrance to the Seraglio, and which was de-signed by that Sultan himself. The fountains are polygonal chambers; with broad, brightly-painted, wooden eaves; with sides of gilded open iron work, or of marble slabs, over which carved flowers and fruits are spread in profusion; and, often, surmounted by fantastic little domes. Within, is found a tank from which a man keeps full of water a number of metal cups, attached by chains to the iron work, but accessible, through the openings in it, to every thirsty wayfarer, without money and without price.

The living, personal, human element in this mode of distributing water is as impressive as the fairy form of the monument Furthermore, water-carriers, paid from the funds which endow a fountain, go about the streets to give “the water of life ” freely to any person who asks for it To erect a public fountain is a very usual form of public benefaction among Moslems, and is regarded as highly meritorious.