During a visit in 1901, Kaiser Wilhelm II of Germany erected an elaborate temple-like fountain near the northeastern end of the Hippodrome as a gift to the sultan and his people.

The Ottomans were an important ally to the Germans and they shared a common enemy, the Russians.

As Europe fell into World War I, the Ottoman Empire joined Germany’s side in November 1914. Their defeat in 1918 contributed to the downfall of the Ottoman Empire allowing the creation of modern Turkey.