Ottoman Era Cistern with Fountain

During the Hellenistic, Roman and Early Byzantine Empires, Smyrna Agora was utilized in line with what it was originally built for. Come the Ottoman Empire, it hosted a cemetery, and was surrounded by various imperial buildings. The Ottomans also built cisterns on street corners of every nearby neighbourhood – be it residential or commercial. One of these was a single-volume cistern that was unearthed close to ruins of the then Smyrna City Council.

Most cisterns also contain built-in fountains on the same level. Evidence shows that terracotta pipes were installed at various points in time in an attempt to keep the cisterns full.