HISTORY OF TILE

THE USE OF GLAZED & DECORATIVE CERAMIC TILES STRETCHES BACK TO ANCIENTASSYRIA&BABYLON.

EasternOrigins

camefromtheArabicword“alzalij” or “az-zulayj,” which rThe azulejo tile can be traced back to as early as the 13th century when Moors formed the Arab Andalusian civilization by taking over parts of Europe in whatisnowSpainandPortugal before settling in North Africa. The Moors brought with them many elements of their culture, including these intricate glaze ceramic stones. Many people today mistakenly believe that the name “azulejo” came from the word Portuguese word “azul,” when it in fact oughly translates to “ceramic”or“polishedstone.”

A polychrome faience azulejo (or glazed ceramic tile) showing a vase of flowers with cherubim. This tile is typical of designs influenced by Portugal's overseas colonies and territories. The tile is from Nossa Senhora da Esperança Convent, Lisbon Portugal and was made in the 17th century CE. This image was takenin2018CE.

Eventhoughtilesareoriginallyfrom Egypt, they were first brought to Portugal by the Arabs, in the 13th century at the time of their invasion, which also helped shaped Portugal's culture. However, it was in the time of King D. Manuel I that tiles were first introduced to Portugal.

Azulejo (Spanish: [aθuˈlexo], Portuguese: [ɐzuˈleʒu, ɐzuˈlɐjʒu]; from the Arabic alzillīj, جي'لزل''ا)[1][2] is a form of Spanish and Portuguese painted tin-glazed ceramic tilework.Azulejosarefoundontheinterior and exterior of churches, palaces, ordinary houses, schools, and nowadays, restaurants, bars and even railways or subway stations. They are an ornamental art form, but also had a specific functional capacity like temperature control in homes. wikipedia