A Ceramic Tile from the Structure of the Dome of the Rock, 16th Century

A Ceramic Tile from the Structure of the Dome of the Rock, 16th Century
A blue and white ceramic tile, heavily glazed. Turkey [Iznik], 16th century. The ceramic tile was an adornment near one of the alcoves at the front of the structure of the Dome of the Rock, on the Temple Mount.
This tile is one of the Turkish ceramic tiles that were embedded in the structure of the Dome during renovations done at the command of Sultan Suleiman the First ("The Magnificent") during the 1530s. Since Caliph Abd Al-Malik had constructed the dome at the end of the seventh century, one of the only architectural changes performed on the structure of the Dome was the replacement of the Byzantine mosaic which had originally covered the external part of the structure. Sultan Suleiman the First replaced the old mosaic with Turkish ceramic tiles such as this one.
In an article written by Dan Yardeni dealing with the ceramic industry in the city of Iznik, he writes about the ceramic tiles of Suleiman the Magnificent. The article was publicized in the magazine "Masa Acher" (Issue 88, November 2009): "Wear and tear of passing time can be seen also in these tiles, and most have been replaced by others during the last 400 years. In spite of the efforts of the artisans who produced the new tiles, they cannot compare to the quality and beauty of the tiles from the time of Suleiman the Magnificent. Those tiles remain in small clusters in places that were less exposed to the weather; under the arches that cover the entrances to the Dome of the Rock and in the inner space of the adjacent Dome of the Chain (some of the original tiles are exhibited in the small museum in the area of the Temple Mount). The marvelous tiles installed by the architects of Suleiman the Magnificent were not produced locally. They were brought to Jerusalem, with tremendous logistic efforts, from the city of Iznik, which is located about 100 kilometers south-east of Istanbul."
Glued on the reverse side of the tile is a paper label testifying that this tile originated from the collection of Prof. Avraham Velersteiner, an archeological expert and a senior collector of antiques of the Middle Ages who lived in Eretz Israel during the time of the British Mandate and in the State of Israel.
Attached is a copy from the book "Jerusalem" (Edited by Michael Avi-Yonah, published by The Institute of Publications in Israel Ltd. Jerusalem, 1960), with a wall photograph of the Dome of the Rock ornamented with Turkish ceramic tiles including tiles identical to these tiles, before they were replaced during the past 80 years. Also enclosed is a photograph of the tile, as exhibited in the house of Prof. Velersteiner.
Measurements: The upper part is 19X19.4 cm, the lower part is 18.5X18.6 cm. its width is 2 cm. Many breaks to the tile edges and cracks in its glaze. Peg holes on its four sides.