The roots of Turkish ceramic art extend back to Central Asia, to the Uyghur period. Brought to Anatolia by the Seljuks, this art form reached its golden age during the Ottoman period.
Seljuk Period
During the Anatolian Seljuk period, mosaic tiles—dominated by shades of turquoise, navy blue, and purple—along with octagonal star and cross-shaped tiles, were prominent in the mosques, madrasas, and palaces of cities such as Konya, Kayseri, and Sivas.
Ottoman Period
During the Ottoman period, İznik and Kütahya became the two major centers of ceramic tile production. The coral red developed in İznik workshops in the 16th century gained worldwide fame through the ceramic tiles adorning the works of Mimar Sinan.
Kütahya Tile Art
After production in İznik declined, Kütahya became the center that carried on the tradition uninterrupted. The vibrant use of yellow, green, purple, and cobalt blue, along with a freehand brush technique and a rich variety of motifs, are the characteristic features of Kütahya ceramics. Today, Kütahya continues to preserve this heritage as Turkey’s “capital of ceramics.”
