The fountain was first found in 1948-1951 excavation campaign and it was completely unearthed during 1995 excavations.

The fountain is situated near the harbor at the southeastern corner of the wall surrounding the city. This positioning allowed the fountain to serve both the city dwellers and outsiders. The fountain placed 0.70 m. below the sea level was built with large andesite blocks in corbel style. The fountain is 2.5 m high and has a rectangular plan. The inside of the building looks like a long corridor of 5.10m. The corridor begins just after the doorstep. The right part of the corridor is the walking line whereas the lower part in the left is the water canal.

The reservoir where the water is stored is located in the inner part. The spring water comes to the reservoir through a triangle hole. The water accumulated here flows through the hole under the reservoir step into the water canal leading outside via the doorstep of the fountain.

The fountain at Smyrna with its inner water reservoir, inner and outer water canals and its monumental building in corbel style may be cited as the earliest and unique example ever excavated in the Western world including the mainland Greece and the Cyclades.