Ceramic tiles have been produced for over a thousand years in the heartlands of the Islamic world, from Iraq in the ninth century to Turkey in the nineteenth. The wealth of designs and colors used to decorate mosques, shrines and palaces later provided inspiration for European artists and designers. This book first explains the various techniques of the craftsmen and then traces the development of tilework, beginning with pre-Islamic tradition, through the major periods and across a wide geographic area. Superb color photographs and informative text make this book a treasure for anyone interested in art and design.