Patterned wall or floor tiles have been used to decorate the homes of the wealthy for thousands of years, mainly across the Middle East and in South Asia. The art of decking out large surfaces in complex and intricate geometric patterns was perfected under the early Muslim rulers of Persia and quickly spread all over the Islamic world.
Tiles are the perfect medium for laying out abstract patterns that are repetitive while providing enough variation to intrigue and charm the eye – abstract patterns being, of course, all that was allowed under the strict Islamic Code of non-representation.