It is quite difficult to study wall tiles of the Ottoman period on their own without any reference to the development of ceramic art and on the other hand, it is very easy to study them in the framework of architectural works viewed in a basic chronological order. In fact the subject is quite complex. There are important differences between the development of infrastructure and glazing for the adornment of articles of use in the general category that we call ceramics and what we refer to as wall tiles which is again baked day material. In Ottoman sources, wall tiles were referred to as "kafi". The ceramics that have been utilized are called "evani". There is confusion on this subject, in addition to new terminology such as "day industry" and "ceramic industry", both in the country and abroad, and one cannot claim that this confusion has been clarified. The fact that Turkish tile makers used the term "tile" to sum up the general meaning has led to the simplification of the term. Distinct terms were created such as tile plate, tile vase, wall tile, and floor tile, and glazed and baked material has been grouped under the general category of baked material. A day and kaolin based structure has been the basis for glazed tiles, but a paste of silica and frit, containing a high concentration of quartz, has formed the main feature of hard white structured classical Ottoman tiles, as in ceramics, and the harmony of glaze and structure produced superior results. Regardless of the confusion in terminology, the structure, glazing, mounting features and baking technology of this architectural decorative element which became a comprehensible term thanks to Turkish tile artists who called it "tile" is subject to detailed study.

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