Ceramics

Ceramics: products (such as earthenware) made from nonmetalic minerals and fired at high temperatures.

Ceramic art was closely related to architecture, and Turkish architecture can be divided into two distinct groups: that done before about 1500, when Seljuk influences were still strong, and that from after the capture of Constantinople (1453). The differences can be seen in the tile works often found in buildings such as mosques: the Seljuk period tended to a more lavish style, often done in star or octagonal shapes, whereas the Ottomans tended more to the square and rectangular. The general Islamic prohibition on painting figures combined with a love of mathematics led to an art form that was mostly geometric. The most important center for tile work then was Iznik. After the 18th century, the main center for ceramic work moved to Kutahya. Today, both centers still produce fine ceramics.