Zellige

Zellij, also spelled zillij or zellige, is a style of mosaic tilework made from individually hand-chiseled tile pieces. The pieces were typically of different colours and fitted together to form various patterns on the basis of tessellations, most notably elaborate Islamic geometric motifs such as radiating star patterns composed of various polygons.

This form of Islamic art is one of the main characteristics of architecture in the western Islamic world.
It is found in the architecture of Morocco, the architecture of Algeria, early Islamic sites in Tunisia, and in the historic monuments of al-Andalus.
From the 14th century onwards, zellij became a standard decorative element along lower walls, in fountains and pools, on minarets, and for the paving of floors.

Back to Historic & Famous Floors →

Source: Wikipedia · Image: Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 4.0