Qallalin tiles or Qallaline tiles were a type of decorative
tile
Tiles are usually thin, square or rectangular coverings manufactured from hard-wearing material such as ceramic, Rock (geology), stone, metal, baked clay, or even glass. They are generally fixed in place in an array to cover roofs, floors, wal ...
which was characteristic of
Tunisian architecture during the 17th and 18th centuries.
Historical background
This type of tile was named for the Qallalin district of
Tunis
Tunis (, ') is the capital city, capital and largest city of Tunisia. The greater metropolitan area of Tunis, often referred to as "Grand Tunis", has about 2,700,000 inhabitants. , it is the third-largest city in the Maghreb region (after Casabl ...
, where they were most commonly produced.
Although their production may have started as early as the 16th century, prior to the advent of
Ottoman rule, the height of their production and artistic quality was in the 17th and 18th centuries.
The Qallalin workshops also produced other pottery objects including vases, jars, pitchers, and lamps.
Their quality and production gradually declined in the 19th century.
Style
The tiles are typically
underglaze
Underglaze is a method of decorating pottery in which painted decoration is applied to the surface before it is covered with a transparent ceramic glaze and fired in a kiln. Because the glaze subsequently covers it, such decoration is completely ...
-painted with motifs of vases, plants, and arches. The predominant colours are blue, green, and ochre-like yellow, which distinguishes them from contemporary
Ottoman tiles.
Good examples of them are found in the Zawiya of Abu al-Balawi or "Mosque of the Barber" in
Kairouan
Kairouan (, ), also spelled El Qayrawān or Kairwan ( , ), is the capital of the Kairouan Governorate in Tunisia and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The city was founded by the Umayyads around 670, in the period of Caliph Mu'awiya (reigned 661� ...
,
as well as in a number of historic palaces and aristocratic houses in Tunis.
Distribution
In addition to being used in local buildings, they were also widely exported to
Algeria
Algeria, officially the People's Democratic Republic of Algeria, is a country in the Maghreb region of North Africa. It is bordered to Algeria–Tunisia border, the northeast by Tunisia; to Algeria–Libya border, the east by Libya; to Alger ...
,
Libya
Libya, officially the State of Libya, is a country in the Maghreb region of North Africa. It borders the Mediterranean Sea to the north, Egypt to Egypt–Libya border, the east, Sudan to Libya–Sudan border, the southeast, Chad to Chad–L ...
,
Egypt
Egypt ( , ), officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, is a country spanning the Northeast Africa, northeast corner of Africa and Western Asia, southwest corner of Asia via the Sinai Peninsula. It is bordered by the Mediterranean Sea to northe ...
, and in some cases even to
Spain
Spain, or the Kingdom of Spain, is a country in Southern Europe, Southern and Western Europe with territories in North Africa. Featuring the Punta de Tarifa, southernmost point of continental Europe, it is the largest country in Southern Eur ...
.
The
Gurgi Mosque in
Tripoli, Libya
Tripoli, historically known as Tripoli-of-the-West, is the capital city, capital and largest city of Libya, with a population of about 1.317 million people in 2021. It is located in the northwest of Libya on the edge of the desert, on a point ...
, also has tile panels in a style identical to those of Tunis and Kairouan.
In Egypt, Qallalin tiles are found in the
Mosque of Abu al-Dhahab in
Cairo
Cairo ( ; , ) is the Capital city, capital and largest city of Egypt and the Cairo Governorate, being home to more than 10 million people. It is also part of the List of urban agglomerations in Africa, largest urban agglomeration in Africa, L ...
, in the
Mosque of Ibrahim Terbana in
Alexandria
Alexandria ( ; ) is the List of cities and towns in Egypt#Largest cities, second largest city in Egypt and the List of coastal settlements of the Mediterranean Sea, largest city on the Mediterranean coast. It lies at the western edge of the Nile ...
, and in the
Mosque of Salah Agha Duqmaqsis in
Rosetta
Rosetta ( ) or Rashid (, ; ) is a port city of the Nile Delta, east of Alexandria, in Egypt's Beheira governorate. The Rosetta Stone was discovered there in 1799.
Founded around the 9th century on the site of the ancient town of Bolbitine, R ...
. In
Constantine and
Algiers
Algiers is the capital city of Algeria as well as the capital of the Algiers Province; it extends over many Communes of Algeria, communes without having its own separate governing body. With 2,988,145 residents in 2008Census 14 April 2008: Offi ...
they are mostly found in palaces.
References
{{Reflist
Culture of Tunisia
Islamic architectural elements
Tiling
Ceramic art