Celebrating Arab American Heritage Month 

Islamic Art in Tiles

For a culture and religion that spread over so many centuries, areas, and empires, the unique identity of Islamic art is truly remarkable. Islam binds culturally and ethnically diverse groups of people, and its art follows suit, featuring intrinsically unifying characteristics. One of these characteristics is the preference for decorating all surfaces, especially with tile.

The Met Museum explains that Islamic art is defined by the opposition to the depiction of human and animal forms. Islam holds that the ability to create living forms is unique to God, who is called “musawwir” or “maker of forms” in the Qur’an. This aniconism forced Muslims to find different designs as a means for self-expression. As a result, many Islamic decorations feature stylized motifs and either interlacing patterns (such as geometric designs or arabesques) or calligraphy — or a combination. 

Zellige tile on a wall at the Ben Youssef Madrasa, an Islamic college in Marrakech, Morocco

Interior view of the dome of the Blue Mosque, Istanbul, Turkey.

The Blue Mosque was built between 1609 and 1616 in what was then the center of Istanbul. Its position opposite Hagia Sophia suggests that Ahmed I intended the mosque to rival the glory of the former cathedral. 

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Tiled fountain on Mosque Hassan in Rabat, Morocco