Zellij

Zellij (Arabic: زليج, romanized: zillīj), also spelled zillij or zellige, is a beautiful style of mosaic tilework. It is made from small, hand-chiseled tile pieces. These pieces come in different colors and fit together to make interesting patterns. These patterns are based on shapes that repeat and fit perfectly, called tessellations.

One famous type of pattern in zellij uses Islamic geometric motifs. This includes stars made from different polygons.

This art form is an important part of Islamic art. You can see zellij in many buildings, especially in the western part of the Islamic world. It is found in the architecture of Morocco, the architecture of Algeria, old sites in Tunisia, and historic buildings in al-Andalus (which is part of the Iberian Peninsula). Starting in the 14th century, zellij became common for decorating walls, around fountains, on top of minarets, and for covering floors.

After the 15th century, zellij was not as popular in most places except in Morocco. People there still make it today. You can see modern examples of zellij in buildings like the Hassan II Mosque in Casablanca. The patterns from zellij also influenced Spanish tiles made during the Renaissance and can still be seen in some modern tiles today.

Name

The word zillīj comes from an Arabic verb meaning "to slide." This describes the smooth, shiny surface of these tiles. A similar style of tile work in Portugal and Spain is called azulejo. In Spain, the mosaic tile technique used in famous places like the Alhambra is known as alicatado.

History

The technique of mosaic tilework, called zellij, was likely inspired by Byzantine mosaics and used by Muslim craftsmen for faience tiles. Pieces of zellij from al-Mansuriyya in Tunisia show that this style grew in the western Islamic world between the 10th and 13th centuries. By the 11th century, zellij had become very detailed, as seen in the floors of the Hammadid capital, Qal'at Bani Hammad in Algeria.

During the Almohad period, zellij appeared on minarets in Marrakesh, with simple geometric designs from Sanhaja Berber culture. The skill of zellij grew more complex during the 14th and 15th centuries under the Marinid, Zayyanid, and Nasrid dynasties in Morocco, Algeria, and al-Andalus. Geometric patterns became more detailed, and new colors like yellow, blue, and dark brown were added. Famous examples are in the Alhambra palaces and mosques in Tlemcen.

In the 16th century, under Ottoman rule, traditional zellij in Algeria was mostly replaced by tiles from Europe. But in Morocco, zellij kept being used and became even more common. The Saadi dynasty made geometric patterns more complex, and the 'Alawi dynasty used zellij a lot in buildings like the imperial citadel in Meknes. Today, zellij is still an important part of Moroccan culture, especially in Fez, where workshops still make these beautiful mosaic tiles.

Fabrication

Zellij tiles are made by creating small, glazed squares, about 10 cm per side. These squares are then cut by hand into different shapes. The shapes fit together like puzzle pieces to make pretty patterns. In Tétouan, the tiles are cut before being baked. This helps them last longer, though they may be less colorful.

After baking and cutting, the tiles are placed face down and stuck together with plaster or whitewash. Once dry, these tiles form larger panels. These panels are then attached to walls using mortar or grout. In some designs, like Nasrid tilework, extra strength is added by mixing threads of grass and cane into the plaster.

Forms and patterns

See also: Islamic geometric patterns

Traditional zellij decoration often used geometric patterns. These patterns were popular and complex. Plants were shown less often. The patterns were made using a method called tessellation. This means covering a surface with shapes that fit together perfectly.

In Islamic art, the most common shapes are regular polygons. This style of art avoided pictures of living things. Mosaic tilework like zellij was common in many parts of the Islamic world, such as Iran, Anatolia, and the Indian subcontinent. In western areas, colors like yellow, green, black, and light brown were popular, often placed on a white background.

In western Islamic art, many different geometric patterns were made for buildings. Artists used patterns with stars and symmetry to make designs more complex and interesting.

Clays

In Morocco, the city of Fez is a key place for making zellij tiles. This is because of the special grey clay found there. This clay comes from a very old time called the Miocene period. The clay is made mostly of a mineral named kaolinite.

Other cities like Meknes, Safi, and Salé also use clay to make ceramics. Their clay has many minerals. These include calcite, quartz, and muscovite. Each city’s clay is a little different because of the mix of minerals.

Zellij craftsmen

Making zellij is an art form passed down by master craftsmen called ma'alems. It takes many years to learn this skill. In the past, young people started learning when they were very young. Today, they can learn at special schools for artisans in Morocco. However, fewer young people are choosing to learn this beautiful craft.