A fountain and mausoleums in Eyüp district, Istanbul.

Description

Featured in the 1836 collaborative work of Thomas Allom and Robert Walsh, this steel engraving depicts the historical Street of the Tombs in Eyüp Sultan, one of the most sacred and prestigious districts of Istanbul. While a monumental sebil (public fountain), impressive with its fine stonework and bronze grilles, stands in the right foreground, domed mausoleums belonging to state dignitaries are situated in the background. By illustrating a high-ranking state official (or Sultan) advancing on horseback in the center and the public and officials bowing in deep reverence (temenna) on both sides of the street, the artwork aesthetically documents the high water/tomb architecture and deep-rooted state protocol rules in the Ottoman capital.