This monumental fountain, dating to 129-132 AD, was built on a terrace above the Lower Agora and dedicated to Emperor Hadrian. A flight of eight steps leads you to the basin of the fountain; behind it you can see the remaining part of the monument's back wall. Originally 17m high, this was the only two-storey fountain at Sagalassos. Functional and prestigious at the same time, the monument was aligned with the south Colonnaded Street so that visitors could see its upper storey as they entered the city.
The fountain was commissioned by the first Roman knight of Sagalassos, Tiberius Claudius Piso, who ordered its construction in his will. He dedicated the monument to Emperor Hadrian. It was common in Roman provincial towns for local aristocrats and benefactors to dedicate monuments to the emperors. This helped them display their connections with Rome.