It is a place where the residents of Thessaloniki meet and one of the sights of the city. Yesterday the central council of the newest monuments declared the fountain located at the intersection of Egnatia Street and Ethniki Amina Street a monument. The motives of the experts from the council are that the fountain has been an important part of the urban environment of Thessaloniki since the late 19th century; it has historical and architectural significance and demonstrates the architectural development of the city in the late years of Ottoman rule, and the residents consider it as one of the sights of the city.
The fountain, an important element of the urban architecture of Thessaloniki, is inextricably linked to the last period of Ottoman rule and to the ruling of Sabri Pasha when large-scale construction was carried out within the context of the modernization of the city.
The fountain was made of white marble and built in the late 19th century; it featured elements of Ottoman and Western architecture. Its upper part was in the typical western shape whereas the obelisk was reminiscent of the Egyptian samples. The fountain had a circular base and three semicircular beds. The rear of each bed was decorated with drops which is reminiscent of Greek architecture and neoclassicism whereas water flowed between lion heads, part of the national architecture of the area.
In the last quarter of the 19th century, Thessaloniki was the centre of reforms undertaken by the Ottoman Empire in view of the key location of the city as a commercial port in the eastern Mediterranean.
Sabri Pasha put a lot of effort into the development and improvement of the urban environment in accordance with European standards.
Engaged in the implementation of the basic principles of the reform programmes and of the main lines set in an imperial edict of 1863, he ordered the demolition of the fortified walls and the construction of a pier. So, the Byzantine walls by the sea were demolished in 1869.
The authorities demonstrated special interest in building up the area, wanting to stimulate Thessalonians to approve the new architectural ideas for the place where they lived. Sultan Abdul Hamid II expressed his goodwill by building a fountain as a present for the city. It was decided that it be placed in a central location where Hamidie Avenue met the main thoroughfare of the city, Kelemerye Caddesi (today Egnatia Street).
According to another version, the construction of officer's clubs and consulates in the area made a bad impression on the locals. In order for the Turkish government to mollify this impression it decided to improve the urban environment by building a fountain.
The opening ceremony of the fountain was magnificent and the first ground was broken officially in March 1889. The new square around the fountain would become the centre of social life in the city and it was no coincidence that it would be called "Taksim" like the eponymous square in Constantinople.
The fountain was not only an adornment; it was used for very practical purposes too, as the passersby could quench their thirst or water their animals.
Over time, the fountain had various names such as "Hamidie Spring", "The White Spring", "The Spring of Kalamaria", "The Fountain on King Constantine Avenue" and "The Fountain on Ethniki Amina Street".
In 1936 the municipality of Thessaloniki removed the fountain in order to facilitate the traffic in the city, "throwing it out" at the old stadium of Christian brotherhood of Thessaloniki youths and moving it later to the construction site of the municipality. This was the time when Egnatia Street was broadened. The fountain remained there for many years, and some of its marble decorations were destroyed.
In 1976 some parts of the fountain were found including the three semicircular marble beds, one of the three pillars and the base of the obelisk. Its restoration was possible after the examination of archival photographs and Turkish drawings. In 1977 the fountain was rebuilt and almost the entire upper part was an exact copy of the original construction. On 20 July 1977 it was placed very close to its previous location, but not exactly at it because of the changes in the urban plan.
Today the fountain is one of the sights of the city and despite its long-suffering history, it is not too damaged, as there are only some small cracks, traces of pollution and graffiti on it.
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