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World famous Iznik tiles reached a zenith of
perfection in the 16th and 17th centuries during
the Ottoman period, but due to unknown reasons,
the knowledge of the secret of their production
vanished in the 18th century. As a result of many
years of research and experimentation by the Iznik
foundation, the technique was recently
rediscovered.
Characteristics of Iznik tiles: Iznik quartz tiles
are the result of extremely difficult production
methods, which involve very hard glaze and under-glaze
decorations. Due to the fact that the body (biscuit),
the undercoating and the glaze contain 85% quartz
and also that the composition of the materials
involved is exposed to a high spectrum of
temperatures during firing that exceeds 900
degrees C., these tiles are recognized in ceramic
literature as being very difficult to make
successfully. The quartz tiles contain a network
of pores, which act to protect them against the
effects of extreme temperatures by allowing the
four layers of the tile both to expand and to
contract.
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These tiles were also very suitable for mosques
and other buildings because of their ability to
absorb sound waves, creating an acoustic effect.
The quartz mineral and network of pores help in
heat insulation and air exchange of buildings.
Because of the way that the tiles reflect the
light, they create the effect of more space in
mosques and other buildings. The Blue Mosque,
Rustem Pasa Mosque and Sokullu Pasa Mosque in
Istanbul have excellent examples of Iznik tiles.
The colors used in the tiles, especially the coral
red, include complex mixtures and are very
difficult to obtain and then to apply on the tiles.
The colors obtained by traditional methods reflect
the shades of semi-precious stones such as
malachite, coral and lapis lazuli and protect
their luminosity for centuries.
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