Craftsmen of Fes: the Tiler

When you visit the Fes, Morocco, one of the first things you'll notice is the incredible architecture and tiling. The walls of your hotel will be patterned in colorful designs, each with its own meaning and symbolism. This type of support is called zelij. Zelij does not mean that the tiles, but the actual model is in tiling. Zelij is used on the tables, walls, arches and sometimes even sinks.

The art of making tiles takes a long time. The tiles are mostly made of concrete, but clay is also used periodically. Each piece is cut into a special form of hand and then come together in a metal grid, almost like a puzzle. The forms used are mostly geometrical, such as squares, triangles and rectangles. Most times there is a star in the center of the design. There are some more complex shapes, used for most occasions. Arabic script can be found sometimes embellish the work of zelij. The tiles are covered in enamel, ranging from bright reds and blues, Browns and Greens more earthy softer. Yellow mustard is another popular color used in almost any mosaic. The art of tiling of zelij is very ancient, dating from the Moorish period of time. It came to Morocco in the 10th century. In about the 14th century, it became important and people started to use more colors and different designs. The style is passed from father to son, and you are done mostly by private entrepreneurs who will be in Riad tiles and decorative surfaces. Covers many old Islamic schools, such as the Quaroyine mosque, one of the most famous mosques in the Arab world.

The whole art of zelij is based on the practice of the discipline and stresses the importance of faith. Tiling shows how men want to understand God's creation, but do not want to copy. They believe that due to its geometry, is not imitating him and then extolling themselves. Beauty is important for Muslims, and they display in their art. There are many different designs, each representing a different part of Arab heritage. Name of each model comes from its Center; the star within it. The name is called by the number of points on the star. If you are ordering a work zelij done, you tell the Tiler that star that you want. It is important that the design is perfectly symmetrical. One of the most popular is the eight-pointed star, which can be found on the walls of almost any Islamic school.

There are many beautiful arts and crafts of Morocco, but one of the arts most frequently used is zelij. You don't have to go very far out of your hotel to find it. It's not about the pattern and colors as much as it is about the meaning and beauty. If you see in cover a water fountain or a majestic gate, culture is written in art.

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