Girih tile

Girih tiles are a special set of five tiles used to create beautiful geometric patterns in Islamic architecture. These tiles were an important part of decorating buildings, helping to make intricate and stunning designs that have fascinated people for centuries. The word "girih" refers to the strapwork style used in these patterns, which involves arranging the tiles in precise ways to form complex shapes.

People have been using girih tiles since around the year 1200. One of the most famous examples of their use is in the Darb-i Imam shrine in Isfahan, Iran, which was built in 1453. This shrine shows how these tiles can be arranged to create amazing and lasting artwork on buildings.

These tiles are special because they allow artists to create repeating patterns that cover large areas without gaps or overlaps. By using just a few simple shapes, they can build incredibly detailed and symmetrical designs that are still admired today. Girih tiles are a wonderful example of how math and art come together in architecture.

Five tiles

The girih tiles consist of five special shapes, each with a unique Persian name. All sides of these tiles are the same length, and their angles are multiples of 36°. Most of these tiles have a special kind of symmetry, meaning they look the same when flipped or turned. For example, the decagon tile looks the same after being turned by 36°, and the pentagon tile looks the same after being turned by 72°.

The emergence of girih tiles

By the 11th century, people in the Islamic world found a new way to make beautiful "tile mosaic" art. They used special tiles called girih tiles, which helped them create amazing geometric patterns on buildings. These tiles made it possible to build intricate designs that decorate many important places.

Girih

Main article: Girih

Girih are special lines called strapwork that decorate tiles used in beautiful patterns. The word "girih" comes from the Persian language and means "knot." Usually, only the girih lines and small flower designs can be seen, not the edges of the tiles themselves. These lines cross the tile edges at a special angle and create interesting shapes that make the tiles look very pretty.

Mathematics of girih tilings

In 2007, scientists Peter J. Lu and Paul J. Steinhardt discovered that girih tilings have special patterns similar to modern mathematical designs called Penrose tilings, but they were made 500 years earlier.

These beautiful patterns were created using simple tools like straightedges and compasses. Artisans used special drawings, like the very old Topkapi Scroll found in Istanbul, as guides. Even though these designs look very complicated, the workers didn’t need to know advanced math to make them. They just followed the shapes of the girih tiles to build large, repeating patterns on walls and buildings.

Examples

Girih tiles were used to create beautiful patterns on buildings. Some famous examples include the ceiling of the Tomb of Hafez in Shiraz, which has complex stars, and a window in the Topkapı Palace in Istanbul, which has six-point stars surrounded by flowers.

Girih patterns were often used to show the importance of the building or its owner. For example, the window in the Pavilion of the Dowlatabad Garden in Yazd has many layers of patterns, making it very special and impressive.