Bakhos Ayazması

Story

Whispering among the narrow streets of Fatih, the Bakhos Sacred Spring (ayazma) is a water source that has reached our day from the past. Its structure, built of cut stone, embodies both Byzantine and Ottoman heritage. Bearing in its name traces of the ancient cult of Dionysus, this sacred spring has held a sacred place in popular belief for centuries. According to local lore, its waters are healing and bring abundance; the sick and the needy come here to pray and to carry away water. A visitor who drinks its water, flowing cold and crystal-clear even on the hottest days of summer, feels almost reborn. When you visit this historic spring, if you come just as the morning sun rises, you can fully experience the noble tranquility of the place; at those hours the sacred spring is quiet, serene, and discovered by hardly anyone.