Although there aren't many sabils (fountains) in Jerusalem today, due to modernization and changes in water infrastructure, a few historical sabils still exist and are preserved as cultural heritage sites.

These sabils served an important social and humanitarian purpose, offering refreshment to the public, including travelers and those in need. While many sabils have been lost over time, these surviving examples provide glimpses into Jerusalem's architectural and cultural heritage. While efforts have been made to preserve and document these sabils, some may have undergone changes or might no longer be functioning as public fountains. Below is a list of some of the notable sabils still standing in the old city of Jerusalem:

circa 709 CE

Sebil al-Kas
The al-Kas (سبيل الكأس), also known as the Mayda’at al-Kaas, was first built in 709 CE. It is used by the Muslims for ritual washing before prayer. Older guide books say the fountain is fed from the ancient aqueduct that brought water to the Temple Mount from Solomon's Pools and the hills of Bethlehem. Mameluke Emir Tankaz es-Nasr enlarged the fountain in 1327-28 CE. The fountain is a simple circuler structure, made of local stone and with some marble decorations, with multiple water spouts around it (recently taps have been added to the structure). It is designed to accommodate a large number of worshippers, allowing them to perform ablutions simultaneously.

circa 1216 CE

Sebil Sha'lan
The Sebil Sha'lan (سبيل شعلان) was established by Muhammad ibn Erwa al-Musli in 1216 CE (613 Hijri) during the time of Malik al-Mu’atam Issa (Ayyubid emir of Damascus) and was used as a water reservoir at Haram al-Sharif during most of 13th till 15th centuries CE. It is intriguing to note that the fountain was not given a name associated with ruling monarchs or nobility, but instead, it was named after the Shaalan family. The family's sons, particularly Ibrahim bin Shaalan, were responsible for the maintenance and distribution of water from this spring. However, although the spring remained functional until the final period of British occupation, it is currently non-operational.

circa 1266/1430 CE

Sebil Ibrahim Rumi
The Sebil of Ibrahim Rumi (سبيل إبراهيم الرومي), located inside the Haram al-Sharif (Temple Mount) complex is also known as Sabil al-Basiri (سبيل البصيري) and Sabil Bab al-Nazir (سبيل باب الناظر). The current name of the sebil, according to the foundation inscription, is after Ibrahim al-Rumi, who renovated it in the Mamluk era, during the reign of Sultan al-Ashraf Sayf al-Din Barsbai, Eypt’s ninth Mamluk sultan. The design and construction of the fountain likely exhibited artistic and architectural elements typical of its time and place.

circa 1460 CE

Sebil Qaitbey
The Sebil Qaitbay (سبيل قايتباي) is located directly opposite the Bab ul-Qattanin (Gate of Cotton Merchants) inside the Haram al-Sharif complex. Originally constructed in 1455 CE on the orders of the Egyptian Sultan al-Ashraf Sayf ad-Din Enal. In 1482 CE, however, Sultan Qaitbay (the Mamluk ruler of Egypt during the fifteenth century CE) had it rebuilt, and the structure is named after him. The Sebil is fed by an old water cistern.

The Sabil Qaitbey is characterized by its remarkable architectural details and inscriptions, reflecting the artistic style and cultural influences prevalent during the Mamluk period. Today, the Sabil Qaitbey serves as a historical and architectural landmark, offering insights into the rich history of Jerusalem and the Mamluk period.

circa 1527 CE

Sebil Qasim Pasha
The Sebil Qasim Pasha (سبيل قاسم باشا) with Qubat ul-Sakhr'a (Dome of Rock) in the background. The Fountain of Qasim Pasha also known as the Fountain of the Bitter Orange (al-Naranj Sabil) is an ablution and drinking fountain located in the western esplanade of the al-Aqsa Mosque compound in the Old City of Jerusalem. It is situated in front of the Chain Gate.

Construction of the fountain commenced in 1526 CE and was swiftly completed within a year under the supervision of Qasim Pasha (Güzelce Kasım Paşa), who served as the Ottoman governor of the Eyalet of Egypt during the reign of Suleiman the Magnificent. This fountain held historical significance as the first public Ottoman structure established within the Haram al-Sharif (al-Aqsa Compound). Interestingly, the decision to prioritize the construction of an ablution house as the initial monument may be attributed to the Hanafi school of thought followed by the predominantly Hanafi Ottoman state, which emphasized performing ablutions using running water rather than stagnant water. Prior Ottoman endeavors in Jerusalem primarily involved the restoration of the Walls of Jerusalem, rather than the creation of new buildings. Suleiman the Magnificent's other notable projects in Jerusalem included the Masjid an-Nabi Dawud and Qanat as-Sabil.

circa 1536 CE

Sebil Birkat Sultan
The Sebil Birkat Sultan (سبيل بركة السلطان), was built in 1536 CE under Suleiman the Magnificent. It was constructed using stone carvings from the Crusader period found in the area and other stones obtained during the contemporaneous restoration of the adjacent Sultan's Pool. After the end of Suleiman's reign, the use of this well also ended. It is located south-west of the old city of Jerusalem, adjacent to (at the southern edge) Birkat Sultan (Sultan's Pool) in the Hinnom Valley. The recessed niche of the sabil has a double pointed arch, with the external arch having a double stone moulding frame. The spandrels of the arch are decorated with stone blocks in relief which were once adorned with stone bosses in the form of rosettes (Alud and Hillenbrand 2000, p.943-947).

The Sabil is in the shape of a rectangular frame. The edge of the frame is formed by a profiled bulge decorated with keel arches. Inserted in the center of this frame is a Gothic-style pointed arch, the apex of which touches the upper edge of the frame. It surrounds a sunken niche. There are round discs in the spandrels. They replace the original rosettes that are now lost. The pointed arch protrudes slightly from the inner frame. It is decorated with bulges, keel arches and a sawtooth frieze on the inside. The upper part of the arch is with Muqarnas shaped into a flat vault. Below is an Arabic inscription which dedicates the construction of the landmark to the Sultan Suleiman.

circa 1536 CE

Sebil Tareeq ul-Wad
The Sebil Tariq ul-Wad (سبيل طريق الواد) constructed in 1536 CE by commission of Sultan Suleyman the Magnificent on the east side of Tariq al-Wad (the valley street). The sebil is located north of the junction with Tariq Bab al-Silsila. The sabil is a single unit structure that consists of a lavishly decorated recessed niche with a pointed arch that rests upon two pillars to either side of a marble water basin.

The inscription reads in part: "Instructed us to build here a drinking place, our lord the Sultan, the great King... Sultan Suleiman son of Sultan Selim Khan, Allah will keep his kingdom and government for eternity".

circa 1537 CE

Sebil Sultan Suleiman
The Sebil Sultan Suleyman al-Qanuni (سبيل سليمان القانوني), also known as Sebil bab e Attim, is one of the six public water fountains known as sabils built by the Ottoman Sultan Suleiman to provide water for drinking and ritual cleansing to Jerusalem’s residents and pilgrims. It is located along the northern boundary of the Haram al-Sharif (Temple Mount), immediatly inside the Bab e Shah Faisal (Dark Gate) and faces Iwan of Sultan Mahmud. It is a free standing fountain and is fed through an aquaduct.

circa 1537 CE

Sebil Bab al-Silsila
The Sebil Bab Silsila (سبيل باب السلسله) also known as the Sebil Sultan Suleiman lies in the small plaza immediately outside the Gate of the Chain (Silsileh/Shalshelet) of the Haram al-Sharif on the western side. This Ottoman structure is dated to 1537 CE (943 Hijri), and the inscription praises Sultan Suleiman the Magnificent (reigned 1520-1566 CE), as the great builder of Jerusalem. It is distinctive because of the medieval rose window tracery in the upper part and the sunken/excavated area in front.

circa 1552 CE

Sebil Haseki Sultan
The Sabil Haseki Sultan Imaret (سبيل حسكي سلطان الإمارات), located within a courtyard in the Haseki Sultan complex, is an unadorned and very simple structure. It is a geometrically simple, two storey vault that holds the cistern within it. The water is made accessible at the bottom of a large stair that descends from the courtyard. The face of the sabil has four water taps with marble surrounds that face toward the courtyard above. Evidence suggests it was built as a sabil-kuttab (a special type of sabil that has a fountain at ground level for the public and a school or madrassa on its second level meant for young children). (Auld and Hillenbrand 2000, p.920-927).

circa 1579 CE

Sebil Bab al-Maghariba
The Sabil Bab al-Maghariba (سبيل باب المغاربة) is a simple square plan structure built around an ancient cistern, located immediatly in front of the Bab al-Magharibah. The al-Buraq Mosque (right) with green window grill, and a couple of Corinthian column capitals are also visible (left). Today the sabil is no longer used, however, an 18th century waqfiyya (endowment document) mentions that a water-carrier was paid to fill the basins daily.

circa 1686 CE

Sebil Shurbaji
The Sabil Shurbaji (سبيل شوربجي), is a small single storey stone structure. It sits on the corner of al-Wad street and the inner square of the Damascus Gate, and is covered by a shallow domed roof and is used as a mosque as well. In 1685 CE, Masid Al-Shurbaji donated money for the construction of a sabil to be open for all people to visit for water.

circa 1713 CE

Sebil Khalidi
The Sabil al-Khalidi (سبيل الخالدي) is located to the north of Tariq Bab al-Silsila immediately east of its junction with the stepped street Daraj al-Ain leading from Tariq al-Wad Street, near the Bab al Qattanin of Haram al-Sharif. Muhammad San’allah al Khalidi, a member of the Khalidi family, founded the Waqf and the waqfiyya (endowment document) establishes the founder’s title, “Companion of the Prophet, Khalid ibn al-Walid”.

circa 1740 CE

Sebil Mustafa Agha
The Sebil Mustafa Agha (سبيل مصطفى آغا) also known as Sebil-i Shaikh al-Budeyar was built by Mustafa Agha and Uthman Beq al-Fiqari in 1740 CE inside Haram al-Sharif (Temple Mount). It's a free standing fountain with arches on three sides and closed wall on the fourth. A short walk of about 20 meters southwest of Bab al-Nazir leads to this Sabil, located in the northwestern part of al-Aqsa Mosque courtyard. Sabil Mustafa Agha is actually the smallest and most beautiful of al-Aqsa Mosque’s Sabils, built at the northwestern corner of a stone mastaba (bench), the south of which is a mihrab (a prayer niche).

Unknown

Sebil Sheikh Jarrah
The Sebil Sheikh Jarah (سبيل الشيخ جراح), located along the historical road to Nablus (Shechem) close to Sheikh Jarah Mosque. The Sebil dates from either Abbasid or Ottoman periods and is fed via water cistern.

Unknown

Sebil Bab al-Asbat
The Sebil Bab al-asbat (سبيل باب الأسباط) is named Sabil Bab al-Asbat because it is located just inside the historic Lions' Gate. In Arabic the lion gate is known as the Bab Sitti Maryam (باب ستي مريم) 'gate of our lady Mary'. Accordingly, the fountain also bears the name Sabil Bab Sitti Mariyam (Arabic سبيل باب ستي مريم). In addition, the wall of the house on which it is located belongs to the Hamam Sitti Mariam.

The sebil is framed by a rectangular frame that protrudes from the surrounding wall. This frame is 3.72 meters wide and 4.72 meters high. A profiled bead forms the edge of the frame. In the center of the frame is a pointed arch. It surrounds a recessed niche that is 1.85 to 1.9 meters wide. A profiled bulge forms the outer edge of the pointed arch. In the spandrels, a rectangular and a triangular element protrude from the facade.

The pointed arch rises from two imposts resting on rectangular stone columns. These beads are copies of the originals. The originals were knocked down by the Jerusalem Municipality to put up plaques for visitors in their place. The field in the pointed arch is decorated with a two-line inscription. Below this inscription is a field 1.3 meters wide and 0.68 meters high, on which there used to be another inscription that has now been lost. In the lower part of the niche is another inscription, made in 1980 CE, which is a copy of the inscription of the Sabil Birkat al-Sultan or the Sabil Bab an-Nazir. Further down, surrounded by a small, shallow niche, there is a hole from which water used to come out. Underneath was a pool 2 meters wide and 0.52 meters deep, which has also been lost. The fountain, like the adjoining bath, was supplied with water via the Qanat as-Sabil and its branches.