Turkish fezzes and the "Lions" behind bars: everyday life in 19th century Heraklion around the 'belly button' of the city.
The 'Lions', as Morosini Fountain is widely known, first gushed water on the 25th of April 1628, which was also the celebration day of St. Marcus, the patron saint of the Venetians. Water came from the natural springs of mount Yuchtas, after crossing 15km on the aqueduct of Morosini, built in just 14 months. The statue of Poseidon that adorned the top of the fountain was lost before we had the chance to admire it (destroyed by an earthquake or by human hands?). The Turkish intervention on the fountain closed it behind bars, added marble pillars and an inscription on the second 'floor' writing: "Abdul Metzit Fountain".
These additions were removed when the Turks left (around 1900), but the signs of history can still be seen on the marbles.