(Arabic: زليج). (Also spelled zillij or zellige). A style of mosaic made from individually shaped pieces of polychrome ceramic tile. The pieces are fitted together to form tessellated patterns. From the 14th century onwards, zellij decoration became popular in North Africa and the Iberian peninsula, where it was used on walls and pavements, in fountains and pools, and on minarets and mihrabs. After the 15th century it fell out of fashion in most of the region, with the exception of Morocco, where it continues to be produced today.

Zellij decoration in the Mirador de Lindaraja, the Alhambra palace, Granada, Spain. Nasrid, 14th c. Photo: R. Prazeres.