Jul 21

Jul 21 "The Importance of Mosaics in Amman and Around the World" by Rachel Simroth

I have always been drawn to the intricacies of art. I like to notice the individual paint strokes to appreciate the larger painting. I think that curiosity is why the mosaics in Jordan fascinate me. You can look closely at the individual stones, and then back away to see how all those small pieces make one beautiful image.

On our first Sunday in Jordan, Amideast hosted a mosaic workshop in their garden where each student created their own small mosaic. Below is a step-by-step of how you make a mosaic.

The first step was deciding on a design. You could choose from premade templates or draw your own image. I chose a premade template with three buildings with a palm tree. You take the template, trace it on top of the blue paper onto the white paper, and then with push pins pin it down to the board.

Small plywood squares with a blue cutting mat, a ruler, pen, and pushpins sit in front of several students seated at a table. — Here are all the essential tools before you trace your design: blue paper, white paper, the wooden board, 2 push pins, 1 ruler, and a pen. Photo credit: Simroth, 2022.

Then it was on to placing the stones. We had seven different color options. You take a stone, dip it in the glue, and place it on the cloth. I started with the floor of the picture - the brown street - then moved onto the buildings, then the sky, and ended with placing the stones for the palm tree.

Whenever you need a shape other than a square (like a curve for a leaf or a skinny rectangle for a door), it needs to be cut into a specific shape with tile nippers. This aspect of the process was more tedious, as it can be quite difficult (without practice) to get the exact shape. Overall, mosaic making is very intricate and labor-intensive. For this small mosaic (around 4x4 I would say), it took me almost three hours to complete. The workshop made me further appreciate the time, effort, and beauty it takes to make a mosaic.

In the center of a white cloth a square is traced. In the square are crudely outlined 3 buildings and a palm tree. Some stone tiles are already laid, and more are strewn about the fabric and worktable. — This was after about an hour of work. Photo credit: Simroth, 2022.

In the center of a white cloth is a tiled square. In the square are 3 buildings and a palm tree. Most stone tiles are already laid, except for the palm tree, and more tiles are strewn about the fabric and worktable. — This was after two hours of work. Photo credit: Simroth, 2022.

A young man with glasses leans over a double row of finished mosaics laying on the ground out in the sun. Each mosaic is on a white cloth laying on a square of plywood. — We all then laid all of our mosaics out in the sun, and we will get them back sometime in the future in a frame! Photo credit: Simroth, 2022.

I have noticed that mosaics seem to hold a great deal of cultural value and importance in Jordan. Multiple markets in Amman have had an array of mosaic designs. Also at a shop at the Dead Sea, an employee explained to my friend and me how he makes the detailed mosaic in the image below, and you can see all the same tools we used in our Amideast mosaic workshop.

A mosaic makers worktable. Clear bags of tiles site on mosaic side tables. On a larger sheet covered table, a mosaic pattern of an intricate tree with animals and flora beneath it lays next to some scattered tiled and tools. — The workstation of a mosaic maker in a Dead Sea market. Photo credit: Simroth, 2022.

Even the history of this land is steeped in mosaics. On our excursion to Madaba, we saw the Madaba Map in the Byzantine Church of Saint George, a floor mosaic map that contains the oldest original cartographic depiction of the Holy Land. This was amazing to see, especially how well preserved the individual stones have been over thousands of years.

A mosaic map of the Holy Land is set into the floor. On the periphery are rope stands and peoples' feet as they stand around the mosaic. — The floor mosaic of the Middle in the Byzantine Church of Saint George in Madaba, Jordan. Photo credit: Simroth, 2022.

But mosaics are not a composition of different stones to make an image. Mosaics can broadly represent many diverse backgrounds and experiences coming together. I view the 26 people in our program as making our own American mosaic here in Jordan. From a guy that lived in Saudi Arabia for seven years to a girl who grew up in Morocco and a guy that wants to be a fighter pilot and then open a restaurant in Germany, each student here has their own unique life experiences and it has made such a well-rounded and fun Summer 2022 Amideast cohort so far.

Rachel Simroth is a junior at the Ohio State University and is studying at Amideast Jordan this summer on the Intensive Arabic Program.