What is Armenian ceramics, pottery and tile?
Armenian ceramics, pottery and tile, is a style of hand painted pottery and ceramic tile making, founded in Jerusalem in the early twentieth century by three Armenian families – Ohanessian, Karakashian and Balian. Although Armenian ceramics has its roots in Ottoman Turkey, this unique art form was established in Jerusalem when in 1919 the British government invited a group of Armenian craftsmen (master potters and tile makers) from Kutahya, Turkey, to renovate the exterior ceramic tiles of the Dome of the Rock in Jerusalem. The ceramic tiles covering the dome needed to be replaced, and these craftsmen came to Jerusalem , set up a workshop and planned the design and renovation of the tiles. For various reasons, the project never came to fruition, but the craftsmen preferred to stay on in Jerusalem rather than go back to Turkey. Karakashian and Balian opened their joint workshop and produced their hand painted tiles and pottery for the general public. Kutahya, a city south east of Istanb
