Early Turkish tiles were best used by Seljukians on architecture and they took the art to a climax. These tiles were mostly geometrical patterns and this style was maintained by early Ottoman artists.
After a short period from the establishment of the Ottoman Empire, Iznik became the centre of Turkish tiles and it remained so between the 14th and 18th centuries.
The second centre of the Turkish tiles is Kutahya.
The Golden Age of the Ottoman Empire was also the most mature period of Iznik tiles and they were famous all around the world.
During the 15th to 17th centuries, tile became the most important decorative art of the Ottoman architecture and it was also used to decorate mosques, madrasahs (school of theology), soup kitchens; palaces, villas, baths, libraries and sadirvans (fountains by the mosques).
The richness of Turkish decoration and abundance of motives is due to their aesthetic beauty. Another reason for this is that the Turkish Artist was forbidden to work on painting and sculpture because of religious rules. Thus, they spent all their efforts and imagination on decorative arts. Instead of imitating the nature, the Turkish artist stylises it in her/his work.
A variety of motives were used in Turkish tiles, which became important during the 15th and 17th centuries. Combining their imagination and skill, the artists developed new styles with these motives. The styles that were developed during this period are:
Hatayi Penc
Rumi
Clouds
Baba Nakkas
Saz Yolu
Naturalist Style
Motives of Turkish Tiles
Turkish tile motives have a large spectrum. In general terms, they can be divided into nine groups.
Vegetal Motives
Beastly Motives
Geometric and Symbolic Motives
Chains
Motives inspired by architecture and different forms of pottery
Stylisation from Nature
Baroque, Rococo, Empirical
Writing
Human Clothes and Ornaments
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