Sabil Abu Nabbut ( ar, سبيل أبو نبوت) also known as Tabitha's Well is a public fountain (" sabil") in Jaffa,

Israel Israel (; he, יִשְׂרָאֵל, ; ar, إِسْرَائِيل, ), officially the State of Israel ( he, מְדִינַת יִשְׂרָאֵל, label=none, translit=Medīnat Yīsrāʾēl; ), is a country in Western Asia. It is situated ...

, built in 1815/16 CE during the Ottoman period in Palestine. Sabil Abu Nabbut
Archnet Digital Library. Its main purpose was to facilitate the journey between Jaffa and Jerusalem.

History and architecture

The sabil was built by the Governor of Jaffa,

Muhammad Abu Nabbut Muhammad (Mehmet) Abu Nabbut Agha ( ar, محمد أبو نبوت) was the governor of Jaffa and Gaza in the early 19th century on behalf of the Ottoman Empire, from 1807 to 1818, as well as the governor of Thessaloniki from 1819 to 1827 during th ...

in about 1815. It was intended to facilitate the journey between Jaffa and

Jerusalem Jerusalem (; he, יְרוּשָׁלַיִם ; ar, القُدس ) (combining the Biblical and common usage Arabic names); grc, Ἱερουσαλήμ/Ἰεροσόλυμα, Hierousalḗm/Hierosóluma; hy, Երուսաղեմ, Erusałēm. i ...

, and was part of Abu Nabbut's rehabilitation efforts in the city. It was seen by numerous travelers, merchants and pilgrims on their journey between the two cities. Despite the fame of the sabil, very little is known about its origin and design. During inquiries in Jaffa in the 1870s, Clermont-Ganneau encountered a master mason named Ali Sida of whom he wrote: "This man, now of advanced age, directed all the works that were set on foot at the beginning of the century by the legendary Abu Nabbut, Governor of Jaffa, the same that gave his name to the pretty fountain, or Sebil Abu Nabbut..." AbuNabut3

The building is a small rectangular stone structure with three

dome A dome () is an architectural element similar to the hollow upper half of a sphere. There is significant overlap with the term cupola, which may also refer to a dome or a structure on top of a dome. The precise definition of a dome has been a ...

s with a sabil (fountain) in the middle. At each corner of the building is a cylindrical

pier Seaside pleasure pier in England.html" ;"title="Brighton, England">Brighton, England. The first seaside piers were built in England in the early 19th century. A pier is a raised structure that rises above a body of water and usually juts out ...

with projecting domed finials (now missing). The principal building material is kurkar stone, with some reused

limestone Limestone ( calcium carbonate ) is a type of carbonate sedimentary rock which is the main source of the material lime. It is composed mostly of the minerals calcite and aragonite, which are different crystal forms of . Limestone forms wh ...

blocks incorporated into the masonry, and

marble Marble is a metamorphic rock composed of recrystallized carbonate minerals, most commonly calcite or dolomite. Marble is typically not foliated (layered), although there are exceptions. In geology, the term ''marble'' refers to metamorpho ...

used for decoration.Petersen, 2001, p
170
/ref> The principal

façade A façade () (also written facade) is generally the front part or exterior of a building. It is a loan word from the French (), which means 'frontage' or ' face'. In architecture, the façade of a building is often the most important aspect ...

of the sabil is its western side, with the fountain contained within a large shallow niche framed with cyma reversa moulding. The fountain is surrounded by four white flat marble

column A column or pillar in architecture and structural engineering is a structural element that transmits, through compression, the weight of the structure above to other structural elements below. In other words, a column is a compression member ...

s set against a background of red marble. Above the two central columns is a plaque commemorating the construction of the sabil in 1236 H (1815-1816 CE). On either side of the sabil are windows. These windows were blocked up in about 1960.Kark, 1990, Pl. 19. Cited in Petersen, 2001, p
171
/ref> There are three-ridged domes that crown the building, as well as the multitude of finials on the domes and the small pinnacles that refine the building's silhouette. AbuNabut6

The entrances are at the north and south sides of the building. Although now blocked, each entrance had an open

iwan An iwan ( fa, ایوان , ar, إيوان , also spelled ivan) is a rectangular hall or space, usually vaulted, walled on three sides, with one end entirely open. The formal gateway to the iwan is called , a Persian term for a portal projectin ...

facing outwards. The arches are decorated with a band containing diamond-shaped lozenges.Petersen, 2001, p
171
/ref> The east side has a pair of windows , now blocked. In the centre of the east side is a doorway opening into the domed room at the back of the sabil. The interior of this room is undecorated, and is now used as a park keeper's hut.

"Tomb of Tabitha/Dorcas"

The fountain was pointed out to Western travellers as the "Tomb of Dorcas" (aka Tabitha, a

New Testament The New Testament grc, Ἡ Καινὴ Διαθήκη, transl. ; la, Novum Testamentum. (NT) is the second division of the Christian biblical canon. It discusses the teachings and person of Jesus, as well as events in first-century Christ ...

figure), or more precisely as a Muslim fountain built at the burial place of Tabitha/Dorcas, as shown for instance by the caption of a photo taken around 1900 (see photo).

Sculpture garden

In 2000 a

sculpture garden A sculpture garden or sculpture park is an outdoor garden or park which includes the presentation of sculpture, usually several permanently sited works in durable materials in landscaped surroundings. A sculpture garden may be private, owned by ...

by the

i painter and sculptor Yigal Tumarkin was established next to the sabil.

References

Bibliography

* Cited in Petersen, (2001). *Kana`an, Ruba (2001),
Waqf, Architecture, and Political Self-Fashioning: The Construction of the Great Mosque of Jaffa by Muhammad Aga Abu Nabbut.
' In Muqarnas XVIII: An Annual on Islamic Art and Architecture. Gülru Necipoglu (ed.). Leiden: E.J. Brill.
.htlm link
* (Cited in Petersen, (2001)) * *

External links