Ceramic Mosaic in the Mural Treatments of Seljuk Architecture

Abstract

The Seljuk Kingdom has undergone great prosperity and development in art, especially the art of architecture, as there was great interest in the architecture of schools and shrines, this development contributed to the mosaic industry in that period. The technique of ceramic mosaic was used comprehensively in mural treatments with a distinctive decorative formulation as a result of the mixture of cultures and multiple civilizational references, because of the expansion of the geographical area and the mixture of Arab culture with Persian and Turkish culture; that led to creating a distinct art with different character and richness in the field of design and decorative formation as well as the maturity of this industry, so the art of ceramic mosaic occupied a prominent place in the history of Seljuk art in terms of mural treatments, this was due to its importance in covering the non-flat architectural elements without changing the characteristics and form of the building, and throughout the thirteenth-century mosaic technique became one of the most brilliant Seljuk arts used in the mural treatments of architectural buildings. The research addresses the mosaic technique of the Seljuk era in terms of the method of implementation, the materials used, and the decorative design elements used in the mural treatments of architecture in that period by presenting models of the mural treatments of that era in different places.

Keywords

• mosaics
• mural treatments
• seljuks
• decorative design