Centuries of Trade Reflected in Ceramic Tiles

WANDER THROUGH THE streets of Seville or Porto, and you’ll find yourself immersed in a world of color and intricate patterns. Elaborately painted tiles, called azulejos, adorn churches, palaces, train stations, and sidewalks.

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These tiles are more than mere decoration—they’re storytellers, chronicling centuries of cultural exchange, artistic innovation, and political power in Iberia. Some whisper tales of ancient civilizations; others speak of grand adventures. Above all, azulejos reveal the story of a region that has long been at the forefront of globalization.

The story of azulejos begins with the Muslim conquest of the peninsula. In the year 711, the Moors swept into the Iberian Peninsula from North Africa, bringing advanced ceramic techniques from the Muslim world. Their hallmark was the art of zellij, an Islamic mosaic style made from hand-chiseled tiles arranged in intricate geometric patterns. Symmetry and abstraction dominated these designs, with motifs inspired by plants, calligraphy, and geometry—a reflection of the prohibition against depicting living creatures in Islamic art. The result was stunning: Walls and courtyards shimmered with patterns inspired by nature and mathematics.