Mosaic workshop

Everywhere in the medina are intricate works of art made from thousands of hand cut tiles. This craft is called Zellij. Judah and Susanna took a workshop with Master Adil Moukhlis to learn more about it.

First, the design is created with careful math to ensure everything is balanced and will fit together.

The glazed tile is then cut with a special tool, a "menkach". The hammer tool is used to shape the tile, then bevel the edge so the pieces fit easily together. Our teacher reminded us to keep the tile between the hammer and the metal anvil. Making the tiles symmetrical is *hard*.

Next, the tiles are laid out in a metal frame. The final arrangement is flipped over and properly spaced. We used a pencil for this, and moved the frame against the tile edges to ensure straight edges.

Our teacher sprinkled a little plaster on to the pieces and then sprayed with water. This acts as a first glue so when you pour the plaster, the pieces don't move. After a minute or so, a plastic mix is poured into the frame, covering the upside down tiles. He flattened the plaster with a spoon. The small size we were working with only needed 15 minutes to set.

We flipped the frame, and then used our finger to smooth the plaster and fill any gaps. Lastly, a sponge was used to clean and smooth the plaster, followed by a wipe with a cloth to remove any plaster on the tiles.

While we were waiting for the plaster to set, our Adil wrote our names in Arabic on a tile. We used the menkach to carve out the letters.Read more