Zellige, the artisan craft of mosaic tile-making in Morocco, dates back to the 10th century. Handmade, hand-glazed and hand-cut terra cotta tiles adorn the country’s palaces, mosques and riads, infusing the architectural landscape with a rich tapestry of colors, shapes and textures.
Made in Morocco by sixth-and seventh-generation mosaic artisans, Idris by Aït Manos exemplifies the quintessential, coveted cornerstone of classic Moroccan art.
Aït Manos was founded in 1998 in Casablanca, Morocco, by entrepreneur Ghalia Sebti and her husband, artist Tawfik Bennani. The name Aït Manos translates to “the tribe of the hands,” a reflection of the completely handcrafted process for creating these tiles.
Each tile is hand-drawn, hand-chiseled and hand-glazed by sixth- and seventh-generation specially trained mosaic artisans, called maâlems. The zellige style of ornamental mosaic tilework dates back to the 10th century and is considered one of the truest expressions of Moroccan culture. The process begins with fine-bodied Moroccan clay, which is placed within a mold, smoothed, sun-dried and fired. Each tile is then hand-dipped and hand-glazed, a process that creates its unique color variability. Once glazed and fired, the tiles are hand-cut and assembled into elaborate geometric patterns and motifs creating intricate mosaics.
