Moroccan Craftsmen

I very much love Islamic art and architecture and the intricate designs the craftsmen have been creating for centuries.

When I was in Morocco some years back, one of the highlights of the tour was to visit a pottery ...

and see the craftsmen at work.

It was so fascinating to see the various objects being made and how the pieces were prepared from a lump of clay to the finished product. On a wheel...

Or chipping away at the mosaic tiles to form an intricate design.

Although mass production was certainly in progress to accommodate the tourist trade the manual skills hundreds of years old were still being used.

The kilns were absolutely fascinating and I am sure the building of them went back hundreds of years...

For me the highlight was to see the meticulous creation of mosaic designs - piece by piece - the craftsman working from his memory of the design he was following.

And perhaps destined to become a part of something as beautiful as this...

or this...

And at this time of the year with the celebration of Ramadan taking place, I wish my Muslim neighbours a peaceful Ramadan.