Tile

Decorative ceramic tile from the wall of a Mosque in Jerusalem, taken in July 1918, now encased in timber with metal studs. Many great mosques are/were resplendent with elaborate decorations but the prohibition against imitating God's works by creating living forms is always obeyed. Decorations became abstract and geometric plant forms were almost unrecognisable to the plant that had been used as the design basis and the colours cobalt blue and turquoise became prevalent in mosque decorations. The tile has a traditional Islamic design which contains stylised plant motifs and other non figural ornamentation. Much of Islamic archtecture architecture is distinguished by the lavish tile incrustations upon the exterior surfaces of walls, domes, and minarets, as well as in rooms, mosques, and patios.