An inscription on a public drinking fountain commissioned by Abdulhamid II reads ‘it is the sultan-caliph who makes the decisions about highways, railroads, and telegraph lines and no longer the Europeans.’ This inscription reveals the symbolic complexity of Ottoman modernity: how was it possible to adapt and incorporate infrastructure considered European in origin, and often operated by European companies, into the Ottoman nation-building project? In regards to water infrastructure, this project was further complicated by the increasing control of Ottoman water distribution rights by European companies. Debates in the French and English-language press, driven by these companies, often utilized scientific and medical discourse which questioned the reliability and safety of the Ottoman water supply in order to undermine the existing infrastructure. The construction of Hamidian fountains – both in Istanbul and in the Arab provinces of the Empire – was an attempt to meet these challenges. Stylistically, these fountains incorporated elements that exemplified the latest technical, material, and sanitary advances, whilst at the same time perpetuating the tradition of a uniquely Ottoman architectural form of urban water infrastructure. Examples of these changes included the use of cast-iron and machine fabricated parts, as well as the employment of steam power to pump water to the fountains. This paper will explore the role of sanitary, hygienic, and nationalistic discourses on the stylistic vocabulary and architectural form of the Hamidian fountain. I will focus primarily upon the Hamidian fountains of Istanbul, many of which are still extant, as well as upon select examples from Damascus, Beirut and other Ottoman cities. This presentation will draw upon a survey of French and English Ottoman newspapers from the second half of 19th century, as well as from examples of surviving fountains of the period.