The Ottoman Bank Museum hosts Prof. Hatice Aynur this month at Objects and Rituals, with a presentation entitled, "Istanbul Fountains Commissioned by Women." The lecture will be held, free of charge, on Wednesday, March 22, from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m.

Fountains and sebils (kiosks built to dispense free water) formed an essential part of Istanbul daily life until the advent of running water piped into the home, in the beginning the 20th century, lessened the need for them. Instead of preserving these fountains and sebils – each of which had represented the cultural and artistic sensibilities of their times – they were demolished or abandoned and left to ruin.
 
Using as a point of departure her ongoing project, Osmanlı'da Kadınların Yaptırdığı Hayratlar I: Istanbul Çeşmeleri ["Public Works and Endowments Commissioned by Ottoman Women: Istanbul Fountains"], Prof. Aynur will discuss Ottoman water culture, giving examples of Istanbul fountains and sebils commissioned by women, and providing details on these women's identities.

Prof. Hatice Aynur Prof. Aynur teaches in the Department of Turkish Language and Literature at Yıldız Technical University. In addition to conducting research on Turkish literature and culture in the Ottoman period, she is investigating the history of Ottoman Istanbul and handwritten Ottoman books. In 1995, she co-published, III. Ahmed  Dönemi İstanbul Çeşmeleri   ["Istanbul Fountains under the Reign of Ahmed III"] with Hakan Karateke. In this book, she uses literary texts from the Ottoman period for the first time, focuses on development and construction in Istanbul, and researches the relationship between literature and culture. She is currently working on her ongoing project, Osmanlı'da Kadınların Yaptırdığı Hayratlar I: İstanbul Çeşmeleri ["Public Works and Endowments Commissioned by Ottoman Women: Istanbul Fountains" ].

Voyvoda Street Lectures Objects and Rituals Otoman Prof. Hatice Aynur Istanbul Fountains Commissioned by Women Wednesday, March 22, 2006 6:30 - 8:30 p.m. Free admission The Ottoman Bank Museum Bankalar (Voyvoda) Caddesi 35/37 (0212) 334 22 70