Sabil Abu Nabbut was one of the most famous buildings in the late Ottoman period. It was seen by the numerous travelers, merchants and pilgrims on their journey between Jaffa and Jerusalem. A sabil covered with white and red marble is embedded in its western façade. In photographs from the beginning of the 20th century, one can still see the unique form of the three-ridged domes that crown the building, as well as the multitude of finials on the domes and the small pinnacles that refine the building's silhouette.

The sabil was built by Abu-Nabbut, the governor of Jaffa and Gaza districts in the beginning of the 19th century. Abu Nabbut had contributed enormously to the rehabilitation of the war-torn city. He developed good relations with the sheikh of Abu Ghosh village consequently managing to secure the way between Jerusalem and Jaffa. To develop Jaffa as an important junction for travelers he improved the port and built two sabils. He also built an impressive sabil next to Jerusalem (in the location of the today's Abu Kabir neighborhood).

Sources:

Kana`an, R. 1998. Jaffa and the Waqf of Muhammad Aga Abu Nabbut (1799-1831): A Study in Urban History of an East Mediterranean City, D. Phil. Thesis. Oxford: Oxford University, 131-140.

Kana’an, Ruba. 2001. “Two Ottoman Sabils in Jaffa (c. 1810–1815): An Architectural and Epigraphic Analysis.” Levant 33 (1): 189–204. https://doi.org/10.1179/lev.2001.33.1.189.