Editing Tile (section)

== History ==
There are several other types of traditional tiles that remain in manufacture, for example the small, almost mosaic, brightly colored ''[[zellij]]'' tiles of [[Morocco]] and the surrounding countries.

===Ancient Middle East===
The earliest evidence of glazed brick is the discovery of glazed bricks in the [[Elamite language|Elamite]] Temple at [[Chogha Zanbil]], dated to the 13th century BC. Glazed and colored bricks were used to make low reliefs in Ancient [[Mesopotamia]], most famously the [[Ishtar Gate]] of [[Babylon]] ({{circa|575 BC}}), now partly reconstructed in [[Berlin]], with sections elsewhere. Mesopotamian craftsmen were imported for the palaces of the [[Persian Empire]] such as [[Persepolis]].

The use of sun-dried bricks or adobe was the main method of building in [[Mesopotamia]] where river mud was found in abundance along the [[Tigris]] and [[Euphrates]]. Here the scarcity of stone may have been an incentive to develop the technology of making kiln-fired bricks to use as an alternative. To strengthen walls made from sun-dried bricks, fired bricks began to be used as an outer protective skin for more important buildings like temples, palaces, city walls, and gates. Making fired bricks is an advanced pottery technique. Fired bricks are solid masses of [[clay]] heated in kilns to temperatures of between 950° and 1,150°[[Celsius|C]], and a well-made fired brick is an extremely durable object. Like sun-dried bricks, they were made in wooden molds but for bricks with relief decorations, special molds had to be made.

=== Ancient Indian subcontinent ===
Rooms with tiled floors made of clay decorated with geometric circular patterns have been discovered from the ancient remains of [[Kalibangan]], [[Kot Bala|Balakot]] and Ahladino.<ref>{{Cite book|url=https://archive.org/details/in.ernet.dli.2015.202140|quote=kalibangan tiles.|title=Indian History|year=1926|publisher=Tata McGraw-Hill Education|isbn=9781259063237|language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=1AJO2A-CbccC&q=balakot+tiles+indus+valley&pg=PA218|title=The Ancient Indus Valley: New Perspectives|last=McIntosh|first=Jane|date=2008|publisher=ABC-CLIO|isbn=9781576079072|language=en}}</ref>

Tiling was used in the second century by the [[Sinhalese people|Sinhalese]] kings of ancient [[Sri Lanka]], using smoothed and polished stone laid on floors and in swimming pools. The techniques and tools for tiling is advanced, evidenced by the fine workmanship and close fit of the tiles. Such tiling can be seen in [[Ruwanwelisaya]] and [[Kuttam Pokuna]] in the city of [[Anuradhapura]]. The nine-storied ''[[Lovamahapaya]]'' (3rd century BC) had copper roof tiles.<ref>{{Citation |title=The Island |date=18 October 2005 |url=http://iesl.nsf.ac.lk/bitstream/handle/1/5082/NEWS_MISC-2005-9.pdf?sequence=2 }}</ref> The roofs were tiled, with red, white, yellow, turquoise and brown tiles. There were also tiles made of [[bronze]]. Sigiriya also had an elaborate gatehouse made of timber and brick masonry with multiple tiled roofs. The massive timber doorposts remaining today indicate this.

=== Ancient Iran ===
[[File:Berlin - Pergamon Museum - Persian warriors - 20150523 6849.jpg|thumb|right|Relief made with glazed brick tiles, from the Achaemenid decoration of [[Palace of Darius in Susa]].]]

The [[Achaemenid Empire]] decorated buildings with glazed brick tiles, including [[Darius the Great]]'s palace at [[Susa]], and buildings at Persepolis.<ref name="HistoryOfIranianTile" />  The succeeding [[Sassanid Empire]] used tiles patterned with geometric designs, flowers, plants, birds and human beings, glazed up to a centimeter thick.<ref name="HistoryOfIranianTile" />

=== Islamic ===
[[File:Imam Mosque by Amir.jpg|thumb|right|The [[Shah Mosque (Isfahan)|Shah Mosque]] in [[Isfahan]], [[Iran]]]]
Early Islamic mosaics in [[Iran]] consist mainly of geometric decorations in [[mosque]]s and [[mausoleum]]s, made of glazed brick. Typical, turquoise, tiling becomes popular in 10th-11th century and is used mostly for [[Kufic]] inscriptions on mosque walls. [[Seyyed mosque (Isfahan)|Seyyed Mosque]] in [[Isfahan]] (AD 1122), Dome of Maraqeh (AD 1147) and the Jame Mosque of Gonabad (1212 AD) are among the finest examples.<ref name="HistoryOfIranianTile">[http://www.iranchamber.com/art/articles/tile_history1.php Iran: Visual Arts: history of Iranian Tile] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101124201206/http://iranchamber.com/art/articles/tile_history1.php |date=24 November 2010 }}, Iran Chamber Society</ref> The dome of [[Jame' Atiq Mosque of Qazvin]] is also dated to this period.

[[File:Turquoise muqarna MBA Lyon 1969-331.jpg|thumb|right|Timurid turquoise-glazed [[muqarna]]. First half of the 15th century, [[Shah-i-Zinda]]]]
The golden age of Persian tilework began during the [[Timurid Empire]]. In the [https://www.aventetiletalk.com/2012/12/persian-tile-form-of-art-and-religious.html moraq] technique, single-color tiles were cut into small geometric pieces and assembled by pouring liquid plaster between them. After hardening, these panels were assembled on the walls of buildings. But the mosaic was not limited to flat areas. Tiles were used to cover both the interior and exterior surfaces of domes. Prominent Timurid examples of this technique include the [[Jame mosque of Yazd|Jame Mosque of Yazd]] (AD 1324–1365), [[Goharshad Mosque]] (AD 1418), the Madrassa of Khan in Shiraz (AD 1615), and the [[Molana Mosque]] (AD 1444).<ref name="HistoryOfIranianTile" />

Other important tile techniques of this time include [[girih tiles]], with their characteristic white girih, or straps.

[[Mihrab]]s, being the focal points of mosques, were usually the places where most sophisticated tilework was placed. The 14th-century mihrab at Madrasa Imami in [[Isfahan]] is an outstanding example of aesthetic union between the [[Islamic calligraphy|Islamic calligrapher's art]] and abstract ornament. The [[Ogive#Architecture|pointed arch]], framing the mihrab's niche, bears an inscription in Kufic script used in 9th-century [[Qur'an]].<ref name="Gardner">{{cite book
| title  = Gardner's Art Through The Ages, A Global History
| author = Fred S. Kleiner
| year = 2008
| isbn   = 978-0-495-41059-1
| page   = 357
| publisher = Cengage Learning
}}</ref>

One of the best known architectural masterpieces of Iran is the [[Shah Mosque (Isfahan)|Shah Mosque]] in Isfahan, from the 17th century. Its dome is a prime example of tile mosaic and its winter praying hall houses one of the finest ensembles of ''[[cuerda seca]]'' tiles in the world. A wide variety of tiles had to be manufactured in order to cover complex forms of the hall with consistent mosaic patterns. The result was a technological triumph as well as a dazzling display of abstract ornament.<ref name="Gardner" />

During the [[Safavid Empire|Safavid period]], mosaic ornaments were often replaced by a ''haft rang'' (seven colors) technique. Pictures were painted on plain rectangle tiles, glazed and fired afterwards. Besides economic reasons, the seven colors method gave more freedom to artists and was less time-consuming. It was popular until the [[Qajar dynasty|Qajar period]], when the palette of colors was extended by yellow and orange.<ref name="HistoryOfIranianTile" /> The seven colors of Haft Rang tiles were usually [[black]], [[white]], [[ultramarine]], [[Turquoise (color)|turquoise]], [[red]], [[yellow]] and [[Fawn (colour)|fawn]].

The [[Persianate]] tradition continued and spread to much of the Islamic world, notably the [[İznik pottery]] of [[Turkey]] under the [[Ottoman Empire]] in the 16th and 17th centuries. Palaces, public buildings, [[mosque]]s and [[türbe]] mausoleums were heavily decorated with large brightly colored patterns, typically with floral motifs, and [[frieze]]s of astonishing complexity, including floral motifs and calligraphy as well as geometric patterns.

<gallery widths="200px" heights="200px"> 
Tile at Topkapi Palace Istanbul.jpg|Tile in the [[Topkapi Palace]], [[Istanbul]], [[Turkey]]
Enderun library Topkapi 42.JPG|Enderun library, Topkapi Palace
Window Apartments of the Crown Prince.JPG|Window Apartments of the Crown Prince, Topkapi Palace
File:Nadir Madrasah Phoenix.JPG|Phoenix on the portal of Nadir Divan-Beghi Madrasah, [[Bukhara]], [[Uzbekistan]]
File:Mekhnes Place El-Hedine Mosaique2.jpg|''Zellij'' tilework in the [[Palace El-Hedine]], [[Meknes]], Morocco
</gallery>

Islamic buildings in [[Bukhara]] in central Asia (16th-17th century) also exhibit very sophisticated floral ornaments. In [[South Asia]] monuments and shrines adorned with [[Qashani|Kashi]] tile work from Persia became a distinct feature of the shrines of [[Multan]] and [[Sindh]]. The [[Wazir Khan Mosque]] in Lahore stands out as one of the masterpieces of Kashi time work from the [[Mughal period]].

The ''zellige'' tradition of Arabic [[North Africa]] uses small colored tiles of various shapes to make very complex geometric patterns. It is halfway to mosaic, but as the different shapes must be fitted precisely together, it falls under tiling. The use of small coloured glass fields also make it rather like [[enamelling]], but with ceramic rather than metal as the support.

===Europe===
[[File:CleeveAbbeyTilesC.jpg|thumb|Medieval encaustic tiles at Cleeve Abbey, England]]
Medieval Europe made considerable use of painted tiles, sometimes producing very elaborate schemes, of which few have survived. Religious and secular stories were depicted. The imaginary tiles with [[Old Testament]] scenes shown on the floor in [[Jan van Eyck]]'s 1434 [[Annunciation (van Eyck, Washington)|''Annunciation'' in Washington]] are an example. The 14th century "Tring tiles" in the [[British Museum]] show childhood scenes from the ''[[Life of Christ in art|Life of Christ]]'', possibly for a wall rather than a floor,<ref>[https://www.britishmuseum.org/explore/highlights/highlight_objects/pe_mla/t/the_tring_tiles.aspx Tring Tiles] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151018184158/http://www.britishmuseum.org/explore/highlights/highlight_objects/pe_mla/t/the_tring_tiles.aspx |date=18 October 2015 }} British Museum</ref> while their 13th century "Chertsey Tiles", though from an abbey, show scenes of [[Richard the Lionheart]] battling with [[Saladin]] in very high-quality work.<ref>[https://www.britishmuseum.org/explore/highlights/highlight_objects/pe_mla/c/chertsey_tiles.aspx Chertsey Tiles] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151018161616/http://www.britishmuseum.org/explore/highlights/highlight_objects/pe_mla/c/chertsey_tiles.aspx |date=18 October 2015 }}, British Museum</ref> [[Medieval letter tiles]] were used to create [[Christianity|Christian]] inscriptions on [[Church (building)|church]] floors.

Medieval influences between Middle Eastern tilework and tilework in Europe were mainly through [[Al-Andalus|Islamic Iberia]] and the [[Byzantine Empire|Byzantine]] and [[Ottoman Empire]]s. The [[Alhambra]] ''zellige'' are said to have inspired the [[tessellations]] of [[M. C. Escher]].{{citation needed|date=August 2016}}  Medieval [[encaustic tile]]s were made of multiple colours of clay, shaped and baked together to form a pattern that, rather than sitting on the surface, ran right through the thickness of the tile, and thus would not wear away.

[[File:WindowCrestAzulejos.JPG|thumb|right|[[Casa de los Azulejos]], [[Mexico City]], 18th century, with ''[[azulejo]]s'']]
''[[Azulejo]]s'' are derived from ''zellij'', and the name is likewise derived. The term is both a simple Portuguese and Spanish term for zellige, and a term for later tilework following the tradition. Some ''azujelos'' are small-scale geometric patterns or vegetative motifs, some are blue monochrome and highly pictorial, and some are neither. The [[Baroque]] period produced extremely large painted scenes on tiles, usually in blue and white, for walls. ''Azulejos'' were also used in Latin American architecture.

<gallery>
Beja26.jpg|[[Quadra (architecture)]] of [[St. John the Baptist]] covered with azulejos in carpet style (17th c.); [[Museu da Reinha D. Leonor]]; [[Beja, Portugal]].
AzulejoPalácioHoteldoBuçaco2.jpg|The [[Battle of Buçaco]], depicted in azulejos.
File:Casa da Música. (6085779239).jpg|Azulejo scenes in Portugal
</gallery>

[[File:17th century delft tile seamonster.jpg|thumb|17th century [[Delft]] blue and white tile with sea monster]]
[[Delftware]] wall tiles, typically with a painted design covering only one (rather small) blue and white tile, were ubiquitous in Holland and widely exported over Northern Europe from the 16th century on, replacing many local industries. Several 18th century royal palaces had porcelain rooms with the walls entirely covered in porcelain in tiles or panels. Surviving examples include ones at [[Museo di Capodimonte|Capodimonte]], Naples, the [[Royal Palace of Madrid]] and the nearby [[Royal Palace of Aranjuez]].

[[File:Demorganducks.jpg|right|thumb|[[William de Morgan]], fantastic ducks on 6-inch tile with luster highlights, Fulham period]]
The Victorian period saw a great revival in tilework, largely as part of the [[Gothic Revival]], but also the [[Arts and Crafts Movement]]. Patterned tiles, or tiles making up patterns, were now mass-produced by machine and reliably level for floors and cheap to produce, especially for churches, schools and public buildings, but also for domestic hallways and bathrooms. For many uses the tougher [[encaustic tile]] was used. Wall tiles in various styles also revived; the rise of the bathroom contributing greatly to this, as well as greater appreciation of the benefit of [[hygiene]] in kitchens. [[William De Morgan]] was the leading English designer working in tiles, strongly influenced by Islamic designs.

Since the Victorian period tiles have remained standard for kitchens and bathrooms, and many types of public area.
[[File:Kopi Susu-Utrecht-2020(1).jpg|thumb|Tiles in a pub in [[Utrecht]], Netherlands]]
[[File:Quiosco modernista Gran Canaria.jpg|thumb|right|200px|A late [[Art Nouveau]] kiosk (1923) in [[Las Palmas de Gran Canaria]] covered with tiles from [[Manises]], Spain.]]

''[[Panot]]'' is a type of outdoor [[cement tile]] and the associated paving style, both found in [[Barcelona]]. In 2010, around {{Convert|5,000,000|m2|sqft|abbr=on}} of Barcelona streets were panot-tiled.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2018-02-11 |title=La verdadera historia del 'panot' de Barcelona |url=https://www.lavanguardia.com/local/barcelona/20180212/44628283022/historia-panot-barcelona-flor-calcada-portuguesa.html |access-date=2023-05-27 |website=La Vanguardia |language=es |archive-date=28 May 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230528001034/https://www.lavanguardia.com/local/barcelona/20180212/44628283022/historia-panot-barcelona-flor-calcada-portuguesa.html |url-status=live }}</ref>

Portugal and [[São Luís, Maranhão|São Luís]] continue their tradition of ''azulejo'' tilework today, with tiles used to decorate buildings, ships,<ref>{{cite web |url=http://installationmag.com/trafaria-praia-on-the-waterfront/ |title= Trafaria Praia: On the Waterfront |date = 23 August 2013 |access-date= 18 August 2016 |url-status=live
|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170109050534/http://installationmag.com/trafaria-praia-on-the-waterfront/ |archive-date = 9 January 2017}}</ref> and even rocks.

=== Far East ===
Decorated tiles or glazed bricks feature in East Asian ceramics in the form of [[Chinese glazed roof tile|Chinese glazed roof tiles]] and in palatial and temple architecture such as [[Nine-Dragon Wall|Nine-Dragon Walls]] and the [[Porcelain Tower of Nanjing]].

In 17th century during the colonialization of Spain in the Philippines, they introduced the Baldozas Mosaicos to describe the Mediterranean cement tiles, but they are now more commonly referred to as Machuca tiles during the 19th AD, named after Don Pepe, the son of the renowned producer of Baldozas Mosaicos in the Philippines, Don Jose Machuca by Romero.