Zellij in London & Al Hasaniya Women’s Centre

Earlier this year, I found myself deeply intrigued by the Moroccan art of zellij/zillij – a composition of handmade terracotta tiles arranged into beautiful geometrical designs. I trawled through the internet to see if London, the city of hidden gems, had anything to satisfy my quest for this art form, and I wasn’t disappointed.

In late June, browsing through what seemed like a disappointingly small list of zellij results online, I stumbled across this: the Moroccan Corner in Meanwhile Gardens. A dainty little fountain, though not functioning, caught our eyes when we made our visit one warm afternoon, with its traditional Moroccan colour palette and geometrical pattern standing out like a jewel amidst the greenery.

The Moroccan Corner is located in a serene nook in Meanwhile Gardens, amidst wonderful greenery surrounding the canal. The Moroccan Corner entrance is marked by a small gate, then a path constructed of blue and white tiles, before you are greeted by the serenity of eastern tradition, an olive tree to your right, a rustic earthen urn (?) and lush surroundings of grass, trees and tiles. For a moment, on a still and sunny afternoon, you could be forgiven for forgetting this is London and not some exotic corner in the Maghreb.

Following this trip, I had some questions which begged for answers. After a brief research session, I sent a hopeful email to Al-Hasaniya Moroccan Women’s Centre in London with my questions; mainly, ‘Zellij is difficult to find in London, so how did the fountain come about? Is there someone who practises it in London?” I had hardly expected a reply, let alone one of much detail. A few days later, a lovely response sat in my inbox from Souad Talsi MBE, detailing her thanks and the efforts it took to import the fountain from Fes, Morocco over to London. I hope she will not mind me quoting a lovely section of her email here:

It took five years and a lot of hard work from everyone involved, before we were able to open it finally in 2007. It is a token of gratitude from us as a Moroccan community to all who welcomed us back in the 60’s when we started to come and live in the area, and indeed for the current wonderful melting pot of communities we have in the area and with whom we remain living amongst in harmony. The concept is based on Moroccan horticulture and zelij and fountain were shipped form Morocco, Fes. We have a leaflet giving the background to its development. If you send us your address or pop in next time  you are in the area, we will be delighted to part with a copy.

Several days later, I received a copy of the leaflet mentioned and thought deeply about the beauty of this art – not only aesthetically but beyond too, in its gesture of thanks, of sincerity, of generosity. To extend goodness so wholeheartedly to the corner of the world which welcomed you, that the beauty of the gesture lives on for others to see. The leaflet now sits amidst my most treasured books, as a token and as a reminder – that, if you look for beauty, beauty will find you.