Out on the tiles in Seville, Spain

Tile mural advertising Studebaker automobiles, 1924

Islamic geometric forms in the Alcázar of Seville

There are millions of amazing ceramic tiles all over Seville – from the 14th century Islamic designs in the Royal Palace to a 1920s advert for automobiles; tiles seem to cover every wall, floor, ceiling, stair, fountain, bench and archway in the city. They are now found in and on all kinds of buildings, from bars to churches (saints are often depicted in tiles, as per photos below).

There are various types of ceramic tiles and techniques but the main ones are azulejos, painted tiles, which the Moors bought over from North Africa in the 14th century. At first the technique, according to the teachings of the Quran (which forbids the depiction of living creatures), mostly featured geometric patterns and were used mainly on religious buildings but the term soon came to encompass all forms of decorative tile.

Tiles enjoyed a renaissance in Saville again in the early 20th century, with adverts and shop fronts furnishing themselves with them. This culminated in the 1920s with buildings such as Alfonso XIII Hotel and the Plaza de Espana (pictured below), an ornate semi-circle of buildings, canals and bridges, all adorned with azulejos tiles. There are also 52 benches with tile murals, each depicting all the Spanish provinces.