İznik tiles and pottery

İznik, ancient Nicaea, lies near Bursa. From the late 15th century tiles were made here on a white quartz-based body, first in blue and white, later with turquoise, green and red. Tulips, carnations, hyacinths and the curved saz leaf were the main motifs.

In the 16th century İznik ware reached its peak: the interiors of the Süleymaniye, Rüstem Pasha and Selimiye mosques built by Mimar Sinan, of Topkapı Palace and of the Sultan Ahmed Mosque are covered with thousands of İznik tiles. The raised "coral red" of this period is considered hard to reproduce.

In the 17th century the workshops dwindled and the art faded. At the end of the 20th century a foundation and workshops in İznik revived the old methods, and tile-making is a living art again.