Kütahya is one of the places which first comes to mind when speaking of tiles and pottery. Ceramics production has been central to the city's economy since the 14th century and possibly earlier, due to the abundance of fine quality clay in the area, although Kütahya's ceramics only gained widespread fame from the 18th century onwards. As well as tiles the potteries here produced bowls, cups, plates, rosewater sprinklers, hanging ornaments, jugs, lemon squeezers, bottles, ewers, flasks, vases and figurines. Early examples of Kütahya tiles dating from the late 14th century were made of red paste and had designs very similar to those of Iznik, but painted in a darker palette of cobalt blue, manganese purple, turquoise and black closely resembling the colour scheme of Seljuk tiles. In the mid-15th century blue and white tile designs became common and the quality improved, although they were still overshadowed by the magnificent Iznik tiles.

Rivalry between the two cities dates from this period, when the Ýznik potteries were patronised by the palace in Istanbul and devoted almost all its production capacity to orders from the court and court circles. Kütahya, on the other hand, continued to produce cheaper ware for ordinary people. Towards the end of the 16th century the Iznik potteries began to decline, and the Kütahya potteries gradually began to supersede them in the 17th century. The falling quality of Iznik tiles undoubtedly played a part in this development. In the 18th century production in Iznik stopped entirely and, freed from the influence of their old rivals, the Kütahya potters began to produce ware in a distinctive style of their own. Now their tiles and pottery ware were characterised by vigorous designs in free brush strokes. The tiles of this golden age have never been surpassed in terms of design or quality. They were made of white or cream coloured paste, with designs painted over white slip and covered by transparent glaze.

Today Kütahya not only has hundreds of small and large potteries producing tiles and ceramic ware, but large porcelain factories producing primarily dinner services, and has grown into a thriving industrial city. Kütahya Tile Museum, which opened in 1999, contains examples of Kütahya tiles produced over the centuries.

* Abdullah Kiliç is a journalist