Seljuk Tile and Ceramic Craft

Timeline

1. 1161–1166Konya · KonyaIn the 1160s Konya craftsmen fired underglaze tiles using a quartz-alkali glaze system, painting geometric star patterns and Kufic calligraphy in cobalt blue, turquoise, and manganese purple for sultan-patronized mosque and madrasa decoration.
2. 1165–1170Kayseri · KayseriIn the mid-to-late 1160s lustre glaze techniques originating in Persia and Syria reached central Anatolia; workshops in Kayseri and Konya began firing tiles and pottery with gold and silver sheen in secondary reduction flames, used for mihrab and portico decoration, enhancing the visual layering of religious architectural spaces.
3. 1168–1170Alaeddin Mosque, Konya · KonyaBy the late 1160s buildings such as the Alaeddin Mosque in Konya continued to use Seljuk tiles to decorate mihrabs and porticos; geometric mosaic and contrasting glaze colors became a visual hallmark of Anatolian Islamic architecture, driving tile craft from courtly objects to large-scale architectural surfacing.