Moroccan fountain

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Moroccan fountain in Moroccan Alley

The Moroccan Fountain is a fountain in Moroccan Lane in the 3rd district of Vienna, Landstrasse .

history

Moroccan Fountain - translations of the inscriptions

The Moroccan Fountain was given to the Austrians in 1998 as a personal gift from King Hassan II of Morocco as a token and to further deepen the long-standing friendship between Austria and Morocco. It is the work of the master craftsmen MDAGHRI ALOUI Moulay Hafid for the "Zellige and handicrafts" and BELLAMINE Kamal for the brick canopy and the wooden sculptures.

Just like the Moroccan Lane, named around 1790, the fountain was intended to commemorate the conclusion of a trade, peace and friendship treaty between Morocco and the Austrian monarchy in 1783. The Moroccan ambassador at the time, who signed the contract, lived in the alley and had a "mission" built here. Another point of reference to the memory of the well construction was seen in the fact that, since January 25, 1907, the then Austria-Hungary also had a proper ambassador in Rabat , the capital of Morocco. The then State Secretary Benita Ferrero-Waldner , who opened the fountain on April 19, 1999, stated that Austrians use water responsibly as a reminder. According to the explanatory plaque placed next to the fountain, it was given by the Kingdom of Morocco "... in memory of the millennium of Austria". This is not least noteworthy because the Thousand Years of Austria in 1996 goes back to the first documentary mention of Ostarrîchi in November 996, the memory of it in 1998 (donation) and 1999 (opening) at least two years too late.

description

The fountain presents itself as a broad piece of wall with three fields decorated with mosaics and framed by a mosaic band. Above that, in a horizontal mosaic strip, there are three fields with inscriptions in Arabic script , in between in the left part the flag of Austria and in the right part the flag of Morocco .

The water flows from three water outlets into three semicircular basins, the middle of which is the largest. A narrow roof, which is supported by a carved wooden structure, is intended to protect the facility from the weather.

Inscriptions

The Arabic inscriptions on the upper mosaic band contain the dedication and a sura from the Koran . On the explanation board next to the fountain they are translated into several languages ​​and read in German:

Gift of the Kingdom of Morocco
During the reign of
Hassan II. King of Morocco

To the friendly Austrian people in
memory of the millennium of Austria

And say: We believe in
what was sent down to us
and what was sent down to you;
and our God and your God are one;
and to Him we are devoted.
    Surat Al-ANKABUT verse 46

See also

Web links

Commons : Moroccan Fountain  - Collection of Images, Videos and Audio Files

literature

  • Josef Donner: The spring jumps up - water in the cityscape - a Viennese fountain dictionary (II. - IX. And XX. District). Austrian Association for the Gas and Water Sector ÖVGW, Vienna 2002, Volume 2, p. 38.
  • Peter Csendes / Ferdinand Opll (ed.): Vienna: History of a city. The early modern residence (16th to 18th centuries). Böhlau Verlag , Vienna 2003, Volume 2, ISBN 3-205-99267-9 , p. 43 ( on the contract of 1783 in the Google book search).

Individual evidence

  1. ^ A b Karl Hauer: European Monument Day on September 17, 2006 in Vienna: guided tour “WASSER”. Federal Monuments Office , accessed on November 25, 2017 .
  2. ↑ a b c APA-OTS : “Moroccan Fountain” is intended to remind Austrians to use water responsibly , April 19, 1999. Accessed on April 27, 2010.
  3. ↑ a b c See the photo on the explanation board for the Moroccan fountain. ( Another photo (JPG) on the culture portal of the City of Vienna. Accessed on April 27, 2010.)
  4. ↑ a b Peter Csendes, 2003, p. 43: “In 1783 an embassy from Morocco arrived in Vienna, which negotiated a trade, peace and friendship treaty with the emperor. The Pasha of Tangier Muhamed Ben Abdil Malik was accompanied by an entourage of 22 people, had audiences with Wenzel Anton Kaunitz- Rietberg, Rudolf Graf Colloredo and finally on February 28, 1783 with Joseph II and made a special impression on the Viennese population. The visit to the embassy, ​​which resided in the "Kalkreiterisches Haus" in the suburb of Wieden , was the climax of social life in 1783 and was reflected in street names, pub signs and contemporary depictions. 47 "
  5. ↑ a b Josef Donner, 2002, p. 38.

Coordinates: 48 ° 11 ′ 56.7 "  N , 16 ° 22 ′ 47.6"  E