Fountain of Qasim Pasha
Encyclopedia
The Fountain of Qasim Pasha also known as the Fountain of the Bitter Orange (al-Naranj Sabil) is an ablution and drinking fountain located in the western esplanade of the Temple Mount
Temple Mount
The Temple Mount, known in Hebrew as , and in Arabic as the Haram Ash-Sharif , is one of the most important religious sites in the Old City of Jerusalem. It has been used as a religious site for thousands of years...

 in the Old City of Jerusalem. It is situated in front of the Chain Gate.

History

The fountain was built by Qasim Pasha, the Ottoman
Ottoman Empire
The Ottoman EmpireIt was usually referred to as the "Ottoman Empire", the "Turkish Empire", the "Ottoman Caliphate" or more commonly "Turkey" by its contemporaries...

 governor of Jerusalem in 1527 during the reign of Suleiman the Magnificent
Suleiman the Magnificent
Suleiman I was the tenth and longest-reigning Sultan of the Ottoman Empire, from 1520 to his death in 1566. He is known in the West as Suleiman the Magnificent and in the East, as "The Lawgiver" , for his complete reconstruction of the Ottoman legal system...

, making the first public structure to be built on the Temple Mount by the Ottomans. Earlier Ottoman works on the site were not the construction of newer buildings but the restoration of the walls.

A wooden colonnade was added to protect the benches and steps surrounding the Fountain of Qasim Pasha from rain and the summer-time sun in the 1920s restoration by the Supreme Muslim Council
Supreme Muslim Council
The Supreme Muslim Council was the highest body in charge of Muslim community affairs in Mandate Palestine under British control. It was established to create an advisory body composed of Muslims and Christians with whom the High Commissioner could consult...

. The Dome was rebuilt during the restoration, and covered with lead panels that bestowed upon it a pointed shallower profile. In 1998, the lead sheeting was replaced by a finely crafted stone.

Architecture

The fountain consists of an octagonal building over a cistern
Cistern
A cistern is a waterproof receptacle for holding liquids, usually water. Cisterns are often built to catch and store rainwater. Cisterns are distinguished from wells by their waterproof linings...

, around which is a wooden shelter that protects worshippers from the sun and the rain while performing ablution
Wudu
Wuḍhu is the Islamic procedure for washing parts of the body using water often in preparation for formal prayers...

. There are eight water taps at the fountain, one on each side of the octagon, which are still used for ablution. The fountain structure, enclosing a cistern, is sunk about one meter below the Temple Mount platform. The structure is preceded by a square shallow pool, with marble paving and a modern fountain in its center. The dome of the structure is built atop an octagonal drum.
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