Middle Eastern tile craftspeople developed the technique of hand made tiles by placing refined clay into a mold and etching 3 finger marks into the back of the tile. This method was devised to ensure that the tile would be able to grip the grout placed behind it upon the wall during installation. These same craftspeople created the method of slowly heating their molded tiles over 36 hours to temperatures above 540 degrees Celsius. At temperatures which reach this height and when provided enough time, the particles within the clay fuse together which turns the clay into ceramic. The final step to this process was the addition of glaze which was essentially liquid glass. The only step which proceeded this finishing of the tile was the painting of said tile, which was usually performed using bright contrasting colors following geometric patterns which provide a dazzling array of shapes when viewed from afar