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Seljuk Tiles

Seljuk tiles are often rather colorful, and made out of a reddish clay. They are coated by a thick glaze.

Methods

After the Seljuks emerged victorious against the Byzantine's in 1071 at Malazgirt, their tilemaking began to develop and become commonplace throughout Turkey. Anatolian Seljuk architecture was host to the first major development in the art of tile making. Seljuks would use their glazed bricks to create patterns with which to decorate mosques and other religious buildings, such as minarets. Another method developed by the Seljuks was the tile-mosaic technique, in which glazed tiles were cut into pieces and reassembeled into many different kinds of patterns. This technique allowed glazed tiles to cover curved surfaces, such as domes. Another technique developed by the Seljuks was figurative underglaze painted tiles. These tiles were of great quality and used in places such as palaces. They were made in fancy shapes, usually star-shaped or octogonal. They could also be gilded, but this was rare. The cost outweighed the benefits. Another technique developed by the Seljuks was the Minai technique, which was very time consuming. The pigments used were composed of many different ingredients, including frit, oxides and vinegar or molasses. This technique is also known as "seven colors". These tiles would often depict people or objects such as the sultan, the sphinx, or dragons, among other things. Another technique developed by the Seljuks was the Luster Technique. This technique involved glazed tiles being covered with metal oxides, and then fired in a low temperature kiln. The results are a sheen that changes colors depending on the viewing angle. The Kubad Abad palace contains many examples of luster tiles.