Everywhere we went in Portugal, we saw Azulejo tiles. We encountered them so often that we began to wonder how this tile-making tradition first began.

We learned that the word azulejo comes from the Arabic term al zellig, meaning “polished stone.” These polished stone tiles were created to imitate the appearance of Byzantine and Roman mosaics [1].

In Morocco, we marveled at the zellige tiles adorning the walls of Al Attarine Madrasa. In Spain, we saw how they transformed the plazas of Seville and the Alhambra in Granada. This tradition of tile making also influenced many former colonies of Spain and Portugal.

The Azulejo tilework we saw in Óbidos, Portugal depicted a religious scene, which is a common theme.

Photographs of our travels. Memories found and captured.