Techniques
Zellij, girih, kashi, woodwork, plasterwork — the six material traditions that gave the patterns their physical form.
Islamic art techniques and materials: a complete guide
A complete guide to the six material traditions of Islamic art — cut tile, stucco, brickwork, stonework, woodwork, and book illumination — with examples and history.
Islamic woodwork: minbars, mashrabiya, and kündekari
A guide to Islamic woodwork — from carved minbars and mashrabiya screens to the extraordinary glue-less kündekari joinery of Ottoman and Mamluk masters.
8 min readWhat is girih? The Persian geometric tradition
Girih is the Persian Islamic geometric tradition, famous for decagonal patterns and the medieval craftsmen who figured out quasi-crystalline tilings.
8 min readWhat is kashi? The Persian tile tradition
Kashi is the Persian tile tradition behind the great mosques of Isfahan and Samarkand — characterized by bright turquoise and cobalt and unique production techniques.
7 min readWhat is zellij? A guide to Moroccan tile work
Zellij is the cut-tile mosaic tradition of Morocco and Andalusian Spain. A guide to its history, technique, signature patterns, and where to see it today.
8 min read