Altindag Nine Fountains (Bitter Fountain)

Introduction

Located in the garden of the Çeşmeli Mosque in the Altındağ neighbourhood, this structure is known locally as "Dokuz Çeşmeler" (Nine Fountains) or the "Bitter Fountain."

Comprising two separate fountains set back to back, the structure is one of Bornova's most striking water monuments, with a total of nine niches across its elevations.

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Fountain No. 1

• Arranged on three elevations.
• Two niches on the eastern face are incorporated into the enclosed section of the mosque; one niche is found on each of the northern and western sides.
• As the upper section has since been sealed, the cistern is no longer accessible.
• One of the niches on the eastern face, together with its flue, served as a hearth.
• It is therefore thought that the fountain was used for a period as a laundry.
• Because the façade surfaces are rendered, the building material and decorative elements cannot be observed.

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Fountain No. 2

• Situated immediately to the west of the first fountain and better preserved.
• Two arched niches on the western face, one on the chamfered face and three on the southern face.
• The cistern is covered by a round-arched vault, protected above by an earth-filled barrel roof.
• The stone carvings on the mirror stone are the structure's most notable details.

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Dating and Construction Phases

• In the absence of an inscription, the precise date of construction is unknown.
• Architectural analysis suggests:
  • Fountain No. 1: 18th century,
  • Fountain No. 2: first half of the 19th century.
• It is thought that the second fountain was added when the first proved insufficient or sustained damage.

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Cultural Context and the Memory of the Population Exchange

Following the 1923 population exchange, Greeks who emigrated from the Altındağ (formerly Kokluca) area built a commemorative "Nine Fountains" in their new settlements in Greece, as a memorial to this water monument in Bornova.

The structure thus continues to live on in the collective memory of the displaced communities.

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Architectural Value

The Dokuz Çeşmeler is one of the rare surviving examples of Ottoman rural water architecture in Bornova.

Thanks to its local stonemasonry, functional design and relationship with social life, it holds significance both as a structure of daily use and as a place of memory.