Within the scope of the KarDes: Multicultural Memory Tours Guide mobile application project, the launch event for the ‘Istanbul's Water Heritage Tour,’ was held on Wednesday, February 19th at the Anarad Hığutyun Building. 

Following the opening speech by KarDes project coordinator Damla Barın, Fokke Gerritsen, director of the Netherlands Institute in Turkey, emphasized the importance that the institute gives to water heritage and mentioned the studies they have carried out on Istanbul's water heritage since the previous years and gave the floor to Arjen Uijterlinde, Consul General of the Netherlands in Istanbul. 

Following the opening speech of the event by Damla Barın, KarDes project coordinator, Fokke Gerritsen, director of the Netherlands Research Institute, emphasized the importance that the institute gives to water heritage and mentioned the studies they have carried out on Istanbul's water heritage since the previous years and gave the floor to Arjen Uijterlinde, Consul General of the Netherlands in Istanbul. 

In her speech, Mariëtte Verhoeven from Radboud University discussed Istanbul's relationship with water in a historical framework, emphasizing that the systems developed in the past on water management can shed light on today's water problems. Stating that Istanbul did not have fresh water resources when it was chosen as the capital of the Roman Empire, Verhoeven said that it became necessary to transport water from sources outside the city. Verhoeven explained that the first water line was built during the reign of Emperor Hadrian (117-138), larger-scale water systems were developed by Emperor Valens (364-378), and the Hadrianic Line was strengthened and continued to be used during the Ottoman period. Verhoeven pointed out that Istanbul has been experiencing water scarcity throughout history and that a similar situation exists today. She emphasized that the historical water infrastructure is no longer actively used, but that this heritage is of great value in raising awareness on water management.

Kee-Lou Ooyman, in her speech, shared the history of the Valens Aqueduct or Bozdoğan Aqueduct. She mentioned that the aqueduct was depicted in a drawing by the Italian cartographer Buondelmonti from the late 15th century. She explained that the Valens Aqueduct bridge, along with the Kırkçeşme water system built by Mimar Sinan, supplied water to the Topkapı Palace.

Fokke Gerritsen talked about the water carriers or sakas, who he said were not as visible as the builders of the water systems. Gerritsen said that before the houses were connected to the water system with pipes, sakas played a role in carrying water from the neighborhood fountains to the houses, and explained that there were sakas from different communities in Istanbul and that the sakas were organized in guilds.

Alvise Cecchetti talked about the hammams included in the tour. He explained that the Zeyrek Tiled Hammam, which has been restored and reopened for use today, was looted at the end of the 19th century and that the Iznik tiles decorating the bath were sold during this period. Emphasizing the importance of the Bayezid Hammam, Cecchetti said that Patrona Halil, the leader of the Patrona Halil rebellion in 1730, was an employee of this hammam and planned the rebellion with his friends in the hammam.

Damla Barın, in her speech, explained that the Surp Harutyun Church in Kumkapı was built for Armenian fishermen who settled in the region in the 19th century and that the fishermen went out to sea with their boats from this church. The fish model made of silver, which is the symbol of the church, was rumored to be a gift from the fishermen to the church. 

Finally, Aysel Arslan stated that there are about ten thousand fountains in Istanbul. She said that most of the fountains, especially the sebils, belonged to mosque complexes, but there were also fountains in public squares and streets in every neighborhood. Arslan narrated the history of the Ayşe Sultan Fountain and the Seyyid Hasan Pasha Water Kiosk and Fountain, which were included in the tour. She emphasized that many fountains had lost their function over the years, but some of them had recently been restored and connected to the modern water pipeline.

To discover the Istanbul Water Heritage Tour on KarDes, you can download KarDes: onelink.to/KarDes