Qallalin tiles explained

Qallalin tiles or Qallaline tiles were a type of decorative tile which was characteristic of Tunisian architecture during the 17th and 18th centuries.

This type of tile was named for the Qallalin district of Tunis, where they were most commonly produced.^{[1] [2]} 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.^[3] The Qallalin workshops also produced other pottery objects including vases, jars, pitchers, and lamps.^[4] Their quality and production gradually declined in the 19th century.

The tiles are typically underglaze-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, as well as in a number of historic palaces and aristocratic houses in Tunis.

In addition to being used in local buildings, they were also widely exported to Algeria, Libya, Egypt, and in some cases even to Spain.^[5] The Gurgi Mosque in Tripoli, Libya, 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,^[6] in the Mosque of Ibrahim Terbana in Alexandria,^{[7] [8]} and in the Mosque of Salah Agha Duqmaqsis in Rosetta.^[9] In Constantine and Algiers they are mostly found in palaces.^[10]

Notes and References

1. Book: Bloom, Jonathan M. . Architecture of the Islamic West: North Africa and the Iberian Peninsula, 700–1800 . Yale University Press . 2020 . 9780300218701 .
2. Book: Degeorge . Gérard . The Art of the Islamic Tile . Porter . Yves . Flammarion . 2001 . 208010876X . en . Radzinowicz . David.
3. Book: Binous . Jamila . Ifriqiya: Thirteen Centuries of Art and Architecture in Tunisia . Baklouti . Naceur . Ben Tanfous . Aziza . Bouteraa . Kadri . Rammah . Mourad . Zouari . Ali . Museum With No Frontiers, MWNF . 2002 . 9783902782199 . 2nd.
4. Book: https://books.google.com/books?id=un4WcfEASZwC&dq=qallalin+tiles&pg=PA479 . The Grove Encyclopedia of Islamic Art and Architecture . Oxford University Press . 2009 . 9780195309911 . M. Bloom . Jonathan . 479 . Ceramics . S. Blair . Sheila.
5. Book: Jones, Dalu . Qallaline Tile Panels: Tile Pictures in North Africa . 1978 . Jones . 978-0-906468-01-2 . en.
6. Web site: Alvarez Dopico . Clara Ilham . 2010 . Qallaline: Mosquée Muhammad abu ad-Dhahab . 2022-12-28 . qallaline.huma-num.fr.
7. Web site: Restoration of Tarbana mosque Alexandria The Arab Contractors . 2022-12-28 . www.arabcont.com.
8. Web site: Álvarez Dopico . Clara Ilham . 2010 . Qallaline : Search : Ibrāhīm Tarbāna . 2022-12-28 . qallaline.huma-num.fr.
9. Web site: Álvarez Dopico . Clara Ilham . 2010 . Qallaline: Mosquée Salah Agha Duqmasis . 2022-12-28 . qallaline.huma-num.fr.
10. Álvarez Dopico . Clara Ilham . 2018-10-15 . Une nouvelle tradition : la céramique algéroise à l'aube du xxe siècle . ABE Journal. Architecture Beyond Europe . fr . 13 . 10.4000/abe.4333 . 2275-6639. free .