It’s easy to find the sheer number of gorgeous things in Istanbul overwhelming. We do, most days. But we thought we’d break down one of our favourites for you in this easy-on-the-eyes post. Today’s subject is the dizzying, mostly blue-and-white ceramic tiles you see all over public and private buildings in Istanbul. They originate in Iznik, but in fact, their story goes back further.
Once the Ottomans conquered Constantinople and made it their capital (1453), they put loot and other cool stuff in it. (There was already a lot of cool stuff there, to be sure, but treasures from the empire and beyond began to arrive in the capital in ever-increasing quantities.) Among the cool stuff was Chinese porcelain ware. And, during the Ming period (1368–1644), it often happened to be blue and white.
The Ottomans really dug that colour combination. We can see why; we dig it too! And so, an industry was born. Or rather, it changed. There had been pottery and tile-making in the town of Iznik (formerly Nicaea) for many centuries, but during the late 15th century, potters began using quartz glazes, which were translucent and so allowed the bright colors to shine through. These two factors: the appearance of Chinese porcelain and the newfound ability to create something like it, caused the proliferation of what are now known as Iznik tiles.
The heyday of these tiles was the 16th century; for a variety of reasons they fell out of fashion within about a hundred years. Luckily for us, that century was also a period of intense building in Istanbul, and many of those buildings still stand. You can see Iznik tiles all over the place but they are especially prevalent and especially stunning at the Blue Mosque, Topkapı Palace, and the Rüstem Paşa Mosque.
Speaking of bright, there are four traditional colours: turquoise blue, dark blue, green, and pinky-orange (plus white). Potters hand-paint each on, in oxide form. The tiles, once fired, are awfully durable. And awfully pretty. We were delighted to discover that there are people in Iznik who are recreating traditional methods, including the secret sauce that is the formula for that glaze (supposedly never written down).
Islamic religious art is non-representational, i.e. there are no people. But you can find beautiful geometric patterns and also flowers (tulips, carnations, roses, hyacinths, lilies), and fruits (especially pomegranates and grape vines). And you will also find Arabic calligraphy tiles, most especially in tugras (the stylized names of Sultans).
You can buy machine printed versions of these tiles anywhere in Istanbul for a couple of dollars. And even those pale imitations are lovely. We can’t stop marveling at these tiles – hope you enjoy them too!
I love these tiles!
Right??! We don’t often covet stuff, but have been dreaming of kitchens and bathrooms we might someday own…