{"id":9416,"date":"2025-08-08T13:18:43","date_gmt":"2025-08-08T11:18:43","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/granada.hammamalandalus.com\/?p=9416"},"modified":"2025-08-10T09:17:46","modified_gmt":"2025-08-10T07:17:46","slug":"fajalauza-the-most-traditional-ceramics-of-granada","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/granada.hammamalandalus.com\/en\/fajalauza-the-most-traditional-ceramics-of-granada\/","title":{"rendered":"Fajalauza, the Most Traditional Ceramics of Granada"},"content":{"rendered":"
There is nothing more quintessentially Granadan than Fajalauza<\/span>.<\/strong> This artisanal pottery has shaped the identity of the city of the Alhambra for five centuries, tracing its origins back to the Mozarabic period. Today, more than ever, it is vital to value this craft\u2014preserving it so that an art so deeply tied to this land endures for centuries to come.<\/p>\n Recently, the media outlet El Independiente de Granada<\/i> published an outstanding report titled \u201cFajalauza, Five Centuries of the Most Granadan Ceramics\u201d<\/i>. It revealed how one of Granada\u2019s last great cultural symbols is in danger and urgently needs institutional support to safeguard its legacy.<\/p>\n The name \u201cFajalauza\u201d comes from the Fajalauza Gate, an entrance around which pottery workshops flourished in the 19th century\u2014most notably that of Cecilio Morales Moreno. To preserve his life\u2019s work, his nephews established a foundation dedicated to protecting and promoting this clay tradition, considered the most iconic in Granada. The Morales family\u2019s connection to the craft dates back to the Christian conquest of the city.<\/p>\n Hand-painted pieces for both interior and exterior decoration and architecture<\/strong>\u2014this is Fajalauza, also known as loza<\/em>. Dating from the early 16th century, it is traditionally made with glazed, decorated clay in blue-gray or green, adorned with floral motifs. Birds, lace-like designs, and heraldic emblems such as double-headed eagles are also common.<\/p>\n The Albaic\u00edn wall once had six gates, one of them being the Fajalauza Gate. Built in the mid-14th century by \u1e25\u0101jib<\/em> Ridwan, minister to Yusuf I of Granada, its role was to protect the early suburb of the Halconeros (Albaic\u00edn) and connect it to the potters\u2019 quarter. Since 1517, workshops have been based there\u2014later forming the 19th-century Fajalauza pottery district.<\/p>\n Art historian and ethnographic researcher Natacha Sese\u00f1a notes the strong parallels between Fajalauza ceramics in Granada and those in Teruel. Together, they represent the Iberian Peninsula\u2019s greatest bastions of Moorish ceramic tradition.<\/p>\n For centuries, Fajalauza pottery maintained its hallmark features: low-tin glaze, green or bluish-gray tones, and designs featuring pomegranates and heraldic motifs. However, from 1975 onward, industrial dyes altered the colors. Despite widespread commercialization\u2014including exports to Japan\u2014only the Cecilio Morales workshop continues to employ traditional techniques, with the sole addition of electricity for filtering, machine kneading, electric wheel shaping, and firing in electric or gas kilns.<\/p>\n Fajalauza ceramics have touched many aspects of daily life: transporting liquids, decorating homes, preserving food, marking streets with ceramic plaques, and commemorating people. Remarkably, many tiles in the Patio de los Arrayanes were replaced with Fajalauza tiles in the mid-20th century.<\/p>\n This tradition is worth protecting. The newly founded Cecilio Morales Foundation seeks to safeguard authentic Fajalauza ceramics through training programs, artisan schools, and cultural outreach.<\/p>\n To learn more, explore the detailed report from El Independiente de Granada<\/i><\/a> and additional resources such as Wikipedia<\/a>, which contributed to this overview.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Fajalauza: Five Centuries of Granada\u2019s Ceramic Heritage There is nothing more quintessentially Granadan than Fajalauza. This artisanal pottery has shaped the identity of the city of the Alhambra for five centuries, tracing its origins back to the Mozarabic period. Today, more than ever, it is vital to value this craft\u2014preserving it so that an art<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":12,"featured_media":4353,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[79],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-9416","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-history"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nA Cultural Treasure at Risk<\/h3>\n
From the Gate to the Workshop<\/h3>\n
What Makes Fajalauza Unique<\/h3>\n
The Historic Fajalauza Gate<\/h3>\n
A Shared Moorish Legacy<\/h3>\n
Techniques: Tradition and Modern Adaptations<\/h3>\n
In the Life of Granada<\/h3>\n
Preserving the Craft<\/h3>\n
Further Reading<\/h3>\n