Abstract:

Throughout history, water has been one of the most valued resources for human beings, both as a source of life and with its visual beauty. All past societies gave great importance to water and developed different water structures such as wells, fountains and public fountains for its use. Among these structures, urban fountains are very important urban equipment because of their relationship with living spaces and the places where social communication takes place. The city of Niğde is an Anatolian city that has been under the domination of many great states from the Hittite to Rome, from the Anatolian Seljuk to the Ottoman Empire. These states have shown their influence on the traditional urban fabric as well as in the cultural life. There are many historical fountains from various periods in the city center of Niğde. The aim of this study to emphasize the value of historical fountains for urban culture and to reveal how important it is to protect these fountains. The study also aimed to reveal the physical characteristics and cultural values of Niğde fountains from different periods. In this study, the typological features of the historical fountains in the city center of Niğde were revealed by quantitative measurement methods and a typological classification was made for these fountains. As a result of the study, the typological features of historical fountains were brought to the literature and the importance of these fountains for the city of Niğde, which is not very rich in terms of water resources, was emphasized.

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