Mosaic, an over 4,000 year old practice, can be found in amazing forms all around the world. The Matador Network sought out some of the very best.
The mosaics in Ravenna date back to the 5th and 6th centuries, during which time the city was the seat of the Western Roman Empire and then the capital of Byzantine Italy. Its famous mosaics are found in three separate churches: Basilica of Sant’Apollinare Nuovo, Sant’Apollinare in Classe, Basilica of San Vitale.
The work of art that is La Maison Picassiette is not nearly as old as many on this list, but some would argue just as impressive. The small house is located in Chartres, 50 miles southwest of Paris. Between 1938 and 1964, Raymond Isidore covered his house, garden, courtyard, furniture, floors — everything by the looks of it — with broken ceramic tile. The house receives around 30,000 visitors per year.
“The Great Pavement” in Westminster Abbey was laid down in the 13th century when the Abbot of Westminster — after seeing a new floor in the Pope’s Roman summer home — brought back a ship full of marble, glass, and Italian craftsmen. The 24sqft floor is comprised of rare marbles, gemstones, and colored glass, with some of the material coming from recycled millennium-old monuments. The images inlaid depict the universe and its end.
The Jāmeh Mosque of Yazd — originally constructed in the 12th century — was largely rebuilt in the 1300s. It is featured on the Iranian 200-rial banknote. The entrance is completely covered in mosaic tile work, as is the large dome, minarets, and interior chamber.
Take a look at the other mosaics that made the cut at Matador Network