Hoca Hanım Fountain

Dear visitors, we are currently standing in front of the Hoca Hanım Fountain, one of Giresun’s historic water structures. Located on Saydaş Street in the Seldeğirmeni Neighborhood—abutting the garden wall of a historic house—this fountain boasts a history spanning over 130 years, making it a significant monument that has survived from the Ottoman era to the present day. According to its inscription, the structure was commissioned by Sarı Muhammedzade Hoca Hatice Hanım on December 29, 1894. It is particularly noteworthy that Hoca Hatice Hanım had this fountain built as an act of charity. In Ottoman urban culture, commissioning a fountain was regarded as a vital service that met the public's need for water while serving a charitable purpose. Thus, the Hoca Hanım Fountain stands not merely as a water source, but also as a testament to the charitable traditions of that era. One of the fountain's most striking features is the stonework and the two round-arched niches on its front façade. Stones of varying colors were used in the arches; the combination of basalt and andesite gives the façade an elegant appearance. The small columns flanking the fountain and the ornamentation above the arches demonstrate the meticulous craftsmanship involved in its construction. However, the true story of the fountain is told through its inscriptions. There are two separate inscriptions on the structure. One identifies Hoca Hatice Hanım as the benefactor, while the other states that the fountain was commissioned by Hoca Hanım in the Saytaş Neighborhood. Consequently, information regarding the fountain's patron—the benefactor who commissioned, built, or funded the project for public use—as well as its purpose and date of construction, has been preserved directly on the structure itself.