This article is about fountains in mosque courtyards. For the type of wall fountain by the same name, see
Salsabil (fountain).
A shadirvan (
Persian: شادروان,
Turkish: şadırvan,
Arabic: شاذروان) is a type of
fountain that is usually built in the courtyard or near the entrance of mosques,
caravanserais,
khanqahs, and
madrasas, with the main purpose of providing water for drinking or
ritual ablutions to several people at the same time, but also as decorative visual or sound elements.[citation needed]
Shadirvans are
Persian in origin and, with a curtain or drape, were originally placed in the tents of rulers or on the balconies of palaces.[1] They are a typical element of
Ottoman architecture.[2][3]: 459
See also
Cantharus, a similar fountain in Christian places of worship