From Al Masry Al Youm: Architecture: ‘The Sultan’s Fountain’ and the restoration of a sabil-kuttab

Throughout Egypt’s history, access to water has been essential to the development of its cities and towns. It is no wonder that a uniquely Cairene architectural style would incorporate a way to dispense drinking water. The sabil-kuttab was a charitable building with a water fountain on the ground floor and a religious public school above it. Special to Cairo, there were over three hundred sabil-kuttabs in the city by the end of the eighteenth century.

The Netherlands-Flemish Institute in Cairo assisted in funding the restoration of one of the most unusual sabil-kuttabs, which took place from 2008 and 2009, with help from the Local Cultural Fund from the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands. Built by Ottoman Sultan Mustafa III in 1760 across from the historic Sayeda Zeinab Mosque, the exterior of this sabil-kuttab looks classically Cairene, with the rounded marble arches on the façade. The interior, however, is what sets it apart form other sabil-kuttabs: it has thousands of Delft blue tiles, hence the Dutch connection.

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