This post seems so obvious, I almost second guessed adding it to the reel, but tiling is and always has been integral to Moroccan culture that it would be crazy not to share some of the patterns and mosaic work from my travels around the country. The colors shifted from vibrant to subdued and were dispersed with care and geometric precision depending on location.
The storefronts, restaurants, houses of prayer and general architecture were a maze of intersecting patterns. Merged with cement and clay, these glazed geometric formations told stories of each location. Jewish stars covered the old synagogue in Marrakesh while abstract landscapes covered shops along the High Atlas Mountains.
While in Fez, I visited a workshop that documented the ancient technique – vats of clay would be baked in the sun then turned into long slabs. They’d then be scored and cut by local craftsmen, then glazed and placed into patterned formations. Bowls and table wear would be painted, while walls would be laid and spackled. The entire process was as beautiful as it was laborious- something that almost feels nostalgic with today’s design and construction methods.
