Misc. Sub}. CX XX. Tòt. VI, No^ißt 



THE ..FOUNTAIN- CALLED T05 - HAN È AT 



CONSTANTINOPLE. 



This remarkable and magnificent fountain, 

 situated in. Top Hxih , one of the suburbs 

 öf Constantinople, whence its name derives, 

 has been lately copied for the first time by 

 the german artist Meiling, architect to the 

 Sultana H a did ge y the distrustful Turks sel- 

 dom permitting something to be copied from 

 their publick buildings. This monument is 

 notable because it gives a perspicuous idea 

 of the style and art of decorating of the 

 Mahometans. The Sultan M&kmud caused 

 this fountain to be bulk in 1733 as a work 

 of beneficence, in order to provide this part 

 of Constantinople with good water as well 

 as with a place for performing the religious 

 washings that are in use among the Turks. 

 The inferior, part of the edifice is incrusted 

 with white fciarble, the surface of which 



being most elegantly adorned with several 

 gilded volutes, ornaments and sentences of 

 the Alcoran , the holy book of the Turks. Not- 

 withstanding there are to be found no 

 figures of men or animals, which is prohi- 

 bited according to the turkish faith. Above 

 the inferior part of the building, that has 

 25 feet in square and a spring on each of* 

 these four sides, stands out a pentice of i6 

 feet which gives the most agreeable shade* 

 A vaulted roof adorned with 16 turrets ter- 

 minates] the whole in an elegant manner. 

 Near the fountain we see some Turks occu- 

 pied by their holy washings and next to 

 these a group of turkish women. In the 

 fore- ground drives a turkish coach all over 

 furnished with lattice - windows , wherein 

 thè women of the Türks take the air. 



