The Executioner's Fountain, Topkapı Palace

Istanbul · Turkiet · Execution site

Here the executioner rinsed his blade when the work was done — and the heads were laid out on the stones beside the palace gate.

Inside Topkapı Palace's outer gate, in the shade of the first courtyard, stands a small fountain Istanbul has never stopped calling the Executioner's Fountain. The legend says this is where the palace headsman washed his hands and rinsed his blade after carrying out his work a few paces away. Beside the gate lay the warning stones where the heads of the executed were displayed, so that everyone entering the palace met them first. The same courtyard was famous for an unbelievable silence — foreign envoys wrote home astonished at thousands of people moving without making a sound. And from the harem baths, it is told, splashing water and weeping were heard at night long after the last women had moved out. The fountain is still there, long dry.

FAQ

Where is The Executioner's Fountain, Topkapı Palace located?

The Executioner's Fountain, Topkapı Palace is in Istanbul, Turkiet.

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