Moroccan mosaic tiles bring a touch of magic to your interiors, with dazzling, intricate patterns that combine contemporary design with a rich, decorative heritage.
What are Moroccan Mosaic Tiles?
Morocco has a long tradition of decorative mosaic tiles. The form of artwork these tiles use as their designs is known as zellige.
In Arabic, zellige means little polished stone. This refers to how mosaics were put together, with multiple fragments of glazed terracotta tiles.
Where did these distinctive patterns come from?
The answer lies in the religion and culture of the region. The concept was inspired by Ancient Greek and Roman mosaics but with one crucial difference. In Islam, many sects forbid the depiction of living people and creatures in art.
Therefore, the original creators of zellige designs on Moroccan tiles used basic geometric shapes and mathematical forms instead.
The other break with the Greco-Roman tradition was in the choice of material. Moroccan tiles used coloured fragments of earthenware rather than polished marble.
Early designs were confined to mainly brown and white colours. But after the Moors invaded Spain, decorative tile art flourished, expanding its colour palette and range of inventive designs.
Its applications were wide-ranging, from palaces to patios, bathrooms to tombs.
The results remain stunning to this day. Moroccan mosaic tiles feature detailed, interlacing patterns and striking use of colour.
Traditionally, these colours all symbolise something. For example, red represented fire, black, white and brown the spirit. Blue stood for earth and green for water.
Famous examples of the zellige style of mosaic tiles include the 14th century Alhambra palace in Granada, Spain, and the largest mosque in Morocco, the Hassan II mosque, completed in 1993.
Moroccan Wall Tiles
As a decorative inspiration, Moroccan tile styles continue to thrive, finding their way into a broad range of contemporary domestic settings.
You can apply Moroccan wall tiles to:
- Kitchens
- Bathrooms
- Hallways
- Living rooms
- Dining areas.
Use Moroccan mosaic tiles as accents or features in your home. They can create slim borders in bathrooms, around mirrors, sinks or cupboards.
Imagine your kitchen with a dramatic, dazzling Moroccan tile splashback.
Create feature walls in your hallway or living or dining areas using these distinctive patterns.
Break up your spaces into different, informal zones with patterned themes using tiles.
You can even apply Moroccan mosaic tiles to furniture to revitalise it and transform it into unique talking points.
The magic of Moroccan wall tiles comes out in the range of designs you can choose from.
These include vintage Moroccan patterns, large and small tile dimensions, in monochrome and vivid colour combinations.
We’ve even got self-adhesive Moroccan tiles for added versatility and convenience.
Tap Into a Whole Design Heritage
These tile designs offer you a whole world of possibilities when it comes to designing your home interiors.
There are no limits here. Whether you want to spice up your bathroom or transform your entrance hallway into a welcoming and intriguing space.
Embrace the exotic with this practical and adaptable range of colourful, visually dynamic tile designs. Browse our collection today.
For more information, please call us on 01727 839920, or email enquiries@houseofmosaics.co.uk
