Artistic-technical features of geometric motifs in Azerbaijan

The main feature of geometric motifs in medieval Azerbaijani tile art is mathematical accuracy, systematicity and the construction of the ornament on symmetry.These motifs started from simple shapes such as squares, triangles, rhombuses, and became more complex and updated to star and polygonal lattices.Geometric ornaments, lattice systems of various shapes symbolize the ideas of infinity, harmony and aesthetic balance on architectural surfaces.The girih technique was widely used in architectural monuments such as Momina Khatun (1186) of Nakhchivan, Goy Gnbez (1194-1196), and the Olcaytu tomb of Tabriz (1307Tabriz ( -1313) ) in the 12th-15th centuries.Girih ornaments were prepared in close connection with architectural projects, more precisely, they were executed by architects and tile masters with a mathematical approach.What distinguishes tiles with geometric motifs from floral motifs is that they are built on a more mathematical accuracy and a certain systematicity.If the artist's feeling and taste are at the forefront in floral ornaments, planning, calculation and mathematical composition play a key role in geometric ornaments.For this reason, geometric tiles were mostly used in monumental religious architecture such as mosques and tombs.