About Us
About Us
Where Every Tile Tells a Thousand-Year Story
There is a city in Morocco where time moves differently.
In the ancient medina of Fes — one of the world's oldest living cities — the sound of hammers tapping against clay has echoed through narrow alleyways for over a thousand years. Here, in workshops that have barely changed since the 10th century, master artisans bend over low wooden benches, shaping and glazing tiles by hand, one piece at a time. This is where Handtile was born.
The City That Built Zellige
Fes is not just where we make our tiles — it is the birthplace of Zellige itself.
The story of Zellige begins over 1,000 years ago, when Islamic artisans in Fes first began transforming the region's unique Miocene grey clay into hand-glazed ceramic tiles. Unable to depict human or animal forms in their art, these craftsmen poured their creativity into geometry — intricate stars, polygons, and interlocking patterns of breathtaking complexity. The result was something the world had never seen before.
By the 13th century, under the Marinid dynasty, Zellige had become the signature of Moroccan greatness — adorning the walls of royal palaces, mosques, and madrasas across the kingdom. The Al-Qarawiyyin Mosque in Fes, one of the oldest universities in the world, still bears the shimmering Zellige mosaics laid by artisans centuries ago. Today, the Hassan II Mosque in Casablanca — the largest mosque in Africa — continues this tradition with thousands of square meters of handcrafted Zellige.
Fes remains the undisputed heart of Zellige production. The clay here is unlike anywhere else on earth — dense, mineral-rich, and perfectly suited to the high-temperature kilns that give authentic Zellige its signature depth and luminosity.
Handtile — Direct from the Source
We are not importers. We are not resellers. We are manufacturers.
Handtile was founded with one simple belief: that the most beautiful tiles in the world should be accessible to homeowners, interior designers, and architects everywhere — without compromise, without middlemen, and without losing the soul of what makes Zellige extraordinary.
Every tile we make starts as raw clay from the Fes region — the same clay that has been used for centuries. Our artisans knead it by hand, shape it, dry it under the Moroccan sun, apply glaze by hand, and fire it in traditional kilns. The process is slow, deliberate, and deeply human. There are no machines here. No shortcuts. No imitations.
The result is what you see when you hold a Handtile Zellige in your hands — a surface that shimmers with tonal variation, catches light in unexpected ways, and feels unmistakably alive. Perfectly imperfect. Completely unique. Just as it has always been.
From Fes to Your Home
Today, Handtile ships our handmade Zellige tiles directly to customers across the United States, the United Kingdom, France, and beyond. Whether you are redesigning a kitchen backsplash, transforming a bathroom, or creating a statement wall that stops people in their tracks — we bring the artistry of Fes directly to your door.
When you choose Handtile, you are not just choosing a tile. You are choosing a piece of living history, crafted by hands that have inherited a tradition over a thousand years in the making.
Handtile. Made in Fes. Shipped Worldwide.
Have a question or a project in mind? We'd love to hear from you. Email us at info@handtile.com