Abstract:

The research subject of this article is the fountain of İzmir Agios Ioannis Teologos Church, which is located in İkiçeşmelik, (one of the most important districts reflecting the cosmopolitan nature of İzmir) and the neighborhood of Konak district. Agios Ioannis Teologos Church, one of the most original examples of the reflection of İzmir’s cosmopolitan city structure on architecture, was built in 1804 by the Greek Orthodox community of İzmir. The area where the church was built is important as it is a place of pilgrimage for the Greek Orthodox community. The building has reached today in a largely destroyed condition. Only a part of its courtyard and its entrance gate, outbuildings and the fountain, which is our subject study remains today. The church continued to function as İsmet Paşa Primary School over time. The fountain of the Agios Ioannis Teologos Church, which is in organic unity with the outbuilding, is in a pointed arched niche bordered by plasters. The fountain is an important example with its rich ornamentation repertoire consisting of Westernization Period ornamental elements (Baroque, Rococo, Empirical, Neoclassical and Orientalism), urban depiction, plant ornaments and objects. The ornamental elements in the fountain have also been destroyed over time, like the building. During the field work on the subject, stampage of the fountain was stolen, and during the Office work, drawings of the decorations of the fountain were made with the help of photographs. In this context, the architectural features and decorative elements of the relevant fountain will be examined, and its place and similarities in Ottoman architecture and especially among other fountain examples in the immediate vicinity will be determined. The most distinctive feature of the Fountain of Agios Ioannis Teologos Church, which is the subject of this article, is the use of decorations from the period called the ‘Westernization Period’, which starts between 1718 and 1730 and continues until the twentieth century. In this period, when the Ottoman art remained under the influence of the West, along with many fields such as military, political and economic ones. While artistic interaction manifests itself in the field of decoration rather than architecture, ornamental motifs of Neoclassical, Empiric and Orientalist styles, especially Baroque and Rococo of Europe, were carried to the decorations of the building. In these decorations, different motifs reflecting Western influences, wavy lines with ‘C’ and ‘S’ folds suitable for Baroque and Rococo decorations, acanthus leaves, flower compositions overflowing from the vase and fruit plates were the favorite motifs of the period. It is possible to say that the most striking decoration of the Fountain of Agios Ioannis Teologos Church is its architectural depiction. A typical Anatolian city is depicted with two storey Turkish houses in the center of the panel at the top and cypress trees appearing between these houses. Such descriptions were admired in a short time, especially in this period when the Ottoman Empire opened up to the West, and examples were given in many cities of Anatolia. The similar examples in near district have also been shown.