Sabil (fountain)

A **sabil** anaa **sebil** (Arabic: سبيل, romanized: *sabīl*; Turkish: *sebil*) be a small kiosk insyd de Islamic architectural tradition wer water be freely dispensed to members of de public by an attendant behind a grilled window. Dem sanso dey use de term sam times to refer to simple unmanned fountains plus a tap for drinking water, though oda names often exist for such fountains (such as çesme insyd Turkish).

Historically, sabils be structures of both civic den religious importance insyd Muslim cities, most prominently insyd de cities of de Ottoman Empire, wey base insyd Istanbul, den of de Mamluk Empire, wey base insyd Cairo. Na dem build dem at crossroads, insyd de middle of city squares, den on de outsyd of mosques den oda religious complexes to provide drinking water give travelers den to assist ritual ablutions before prayer.

## Etymology
De word *sabil* dey cam from de Arabic verb root *sabala* (سبل) wey dey mean "to let fall, drop, to let hang down, to close eyes anaa to shed tear". Na  *sabil* initially mean "road" anaa "path" wey na e be used both metaphorically den literally insyd chaw instances insyd de Qur'an. Ein use as an architectural term give a public water building anaa fountain likely dey derive from a more abstract meaning e acquire to refer to general acts anaa provisions done for de sake of God (such as a charitable act).

## Description den function
Na dem build a typical sabil over an underground cistern wich supply de water for distribution. Insyd sam cases, na de water drawn from de cistern then run down a decorative carved marble panel dem call a *salsabil*, wich sanso fi serve de purpose of aerating de water as e cam from de cistern. Na n attendant collect de water den distribute am to passers-by outsyd de sabil, usually thru a window plus a metal grille.

Na dis service be free to members of de public, wey na dem bia for by de revenues anaa funds of a charitable endowment, an Islamic waqf, dem provide anaa set up by de patron wey commission de building. Endowing money give de construction of sabils be considered an act of piety, wey na dem consider de construction of chaw sabils de hallmark of a beneficent ruler.
File:Cairo,_sabil_di_muhammad_'ali_pasha_01.JPG|De street facade of de Sabil of Tusun Pasha (anaa Sabil of Muhammad Ali), Cairo, dem plete insyd 1820.
File:Cairo,_sabil_di_muhammad_'ali_pasha,_finestra_con_grata.JPG|Water dispensing area insyd de sabil. (Sabil of Tusun Pasha anaa Muhammad Ali, Cairo, 19th century.)
File:Cistern_of_Sabil_of_Tusun_Pasha.jpg|De underground water cistern give de sabil. (Sabil of Tusun Pasha anaa Muhammad Ali, Cairo, 19th century.)


## History

### Origins insyd de Islamic world

During de formative period of early Islamic society (seventh century onward), na de Islamic world inherit de water traditions of de late antiquity Mediterranean world (formerly under Roman den Byzantine rule) den Iranian world (formerly under Sasanian rule). Na Islamic society develop existing methods into new ones anaa revived neglected ones. In addition to de regular water needs for drinking den for agriculture, na water sanso get an important religions role insyd de ablutions anaa purification ritual dem require before prayer insyd Islam, such dat even na early mosques be equipped plus either a water basin anaa fountain. Na water sanso get oda religious anaa spiritual symbolic importance, wey be associated plus Paradise (heaven) wey dem dey use am insyd de Qur'an as a symbol of Creation. De Qur'an dey describe water as a blessing from God (Allah), den sam hadiths dey exhort Muslims make dem offer water to thirsty humans den animals.

As a result, water cam be an important element insyd Islamic architecture, both as a practical/religious provision as well as for aesthetic effects. Hammams (public bathhouses), dem inherit from de Roman thermae, continue to be an essential public facility insyd Islamic cities in addition to public fountains. At de same time, na dem feature water insyd palace den garden design as early as de Umayyad Caliphate (7th–8th centuries). Na e play a role insyd formal gardens (such as Persian gardens) den insyd palace architecture such as insyd de famous example of de Alhambra insyd Spain.

How de architectural format of de sabil einself first develop be debated. While na water implicated insyd architectural design across de Muslim world, de sabil as a recognizable structure plus a particular purpose be associated mainly plus de Mamluk Sultanate den plus de Ottoman Empire, plus both Istanbul den Cairo get chaw examples. Na ein architecture be argued to draw inspiration from de descriptions of Paradise insyd de Qur'an.

### Sabils insyd Mamluk Cairo

De oldest sabil for wich we get a date be insyd Damascus, Syria, wey na e be dated to 1077–78 CE (570 AH) according to ein inscription, wich be well before Ayyubid anaa Mamluk rule insyd Egypt den Syria. De earliest (surviving) sabil insyd Cairo be de one installed by de Mamluk sultan al-Nasir Muhammad at de corner of ein poppie ein monumental hospital-madrasa-mausoleum complex during restorations insyd 1325–26. As na Mamluk architecture develop, sabils cam be a standard feature of de religious den funerary complexes wey na de Mamluk elites build wey na e sanso cam to be typically accompanied by a kuttab (a space wey dey offer primary education, especially reading of de Qur'an). Na dese "sabil-kuttab" structures often be located for de corner of de building complex along a busy road anaa for an intersection. Na de sabil dey locate at ground anaa street level (wer na e be accessible to passersby) while na de kuttab usually be above am on de upper levels. Na Mamluk sabils get facades plus large windows dem cover by heavy bronze grilles wey na dema exteriors be well-decorated, typically plus stone-carving along dema surfaces den plus multi-coloured marble panels above de windows. Na de interiors sanso be typically decorated plus marble mosaics den plus painted wooden ceilings, while na de water from de cistern often trickle over an ornamental carved marble panel (dem know as a *salsabil*) before na e be collected by de sabil ein attendant.

During de Mamluk period, na such structures almost be always integrated into a larger building, wey na dem be rarely ever built as separate anaa stand-alone structures. Na de earliest free-standing anaa independent sabil-kuttab be de one wey Sultan Qaytbay build insyd 1479 (de Sabil-Kuttab of Qaytbay) along Saliba Street. Na e be under Ottoman rule per (from 1517 dey go) wey na independent sabil-kuttabs cam be a common building type insyd Cairo, plus notable examples like de Sabil-kuttab of Abd al-Rahman Katkhuda at Bayn al-Qasrayn. Na dis be in part secof de Ottoman governors wey na elites of dis period get relatively limited resources den na Cairo einself cam be densely built-up, dey leave little space to build more. As such, na de small buh multi-level "sabil-kuttab" structure cam be a cost-effective option give political elites to offer charitable services to de general population, wich in turn help dem publicly display dema piety.

### Sebils insyd Ottoman Istanbul

Insyd 16th century Istanbul, na sebils be a symbol of public possession. Na de attempt to add spigots (taps) be opposed secof na dis be perceived as limiting public access to de blessings of nature. Insyd later centuries, sebils cam be elaborately decorated structures, either dem attach to mosque complexes anaa existing as stand-alone structures, often at busy intersections anaa street corners. Na dem be a prominent type of construction insyd de "Tulip period" during de reign of Ahmed III insyd de early 18th century, wich dem see an emergence of de "Rococo" Ottoman architectural style, den during de later "Baroque" phase of Ottoman architecture wey be followed. De Fountain of Ahmed III, next to Topkapı Palace den de Hagia Sophia, be one of de most famous den elaborate examples. Like oda public monuments, na dem often be inscribed plus Ottoman Turkish verses wey form a chronogram dey use de Abjad numbers to date de construction. Historically, during holidays den major celebrations, sam sebils sanso distribute a sweetened fruit drink dem know as "sherbet" anaa anoda fruit juice.

Ril de spread of in-house plumbing by de end of de 20th century, na sebils den oda fountains be essential for de daily life of de inhabitants of Istanbul. In present-day Istanbul, chaw sebils either be abandoned anaa dey serve oda functions such as commercial shops. Na sam be restored as part of wider historical architectural complexes, buh still no dey serve dema original purpose.

## Examples

File:COLLECTIE_TROPENMUSEUM_Een_wasplaats_in_Tunis_TMnr_60028268.jpg|Hafsid-era fountain anaa sabil near Bab Sidi Abdessalem, Tunis
File:Kájtbájova_kašna,_Jeruzalém.jpg|Fountain of Qayt Bay at de Temple Mount, Jerusalem (1482)
File:Mouassine_mosque_04.jpg|De 16th-century Mouassine Fountain insyd Marrakech
File:Samokov-Cheshmata.jpg|De Grand Fountain insyd Samokov, Bulgaria, wey de Ottomans build insyd 1660
File:Sabil-Kuttab_of_Katkhuda_(14613468600).jpg|Sabil-Kuttab of Katkhuda, Cairo, (1744)
File:Damat_Ibrahim_Mosque_Sebil_0889.jpg|Damat Ibrahim Mosque sebil, Istanbul (1720)
File:FountainAhmedIIIÜsküdar02.JPG|Sultan Ahmed III Fountain insyd Üsküdar, Istanbul (1728)
File:Ruelibraires_01.JPG|A sabil window insyd Tunis, next to de entrance of de Madrasa al-Bashiya, wey dey date from 1752
File:Sebilj_in_Sarajevo_(8269348990).jpg|The Sebilj insyd Baščaršija, Sarajevo (1753)
File:سبيل_على_بك.jpg|Sabil of Ali Bey Al-Kabir insyd Tanta, Egypt (18th century)
File:DSC01004-1-2.jpg|Sabil of Isma'il Pasha insyd Cairo (1828)
File:PikiWiki_Israel_13548_Sebil_in_Acre.jpg|An Ottoman sabil dem attach to de al-Jazzar Mosque insyd Acre
File:Sabilyafo.jpg|Early 19th-century Ottoman fountain-sabil dem attach to de Mahmoudiya Mosque insyd Jaffa, Israel.
File:Sabil_from_Rachel_Tomb.jpg|Fountain-sabil outsyd Rachel's Tomb, near Bethlehem. A late Ottoman coat of arms be carved on ein face
File:Dar_Tazi,_Fes,_Morocco_-_panoramio_(1).jpg|De Nejjarine Fountain insyd Fes, Morocco (19th-century)


## References

### Citations


## External links

* Sebil in the dictionary of Islamic architecture
* Fountains of Istanbul