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Portal of Nejm ad-Din al-Kubra shrine
Konye-Urgench
This beautiful portal has survived relatively intact. It is interesting that for all our advanced technology, tiles made today do not produce the same intensity of color or luster that master ceramicists in Turkey, Iran and Central Asia could produce seven centuries ago. Nor do they last as long. One reason is the materials used today, another is the technique. Kilns burning wood took longer to reach the desired temperature producing a deeper intensity than the fast-acting factory kilns do today. Also aniline dyes are used instead of lapis and turquoise which would be prohibitively expensive nowadays.
