Museu Nacional do Azulejo

Yesterday we visited the Museu Nacional do Azulejo (National Tile Museum).  Azulejo comes from the Arab word azzelij or al zuleycha, which means "small polished stone" and Portugal is known for its decorative tiles.  This is especially true in Lisbon where so many of the buildings are covered in colorful tiles.  The museum is housed in a 16th-century convent and the collection has tiles dating back to the Ottoman Empire.  

In keeping with the tile theme, we also visited a shop the other day called, Cortiço & Neto.  The store is owned by four brothers who have inherited their father's 30-year collection of Portuguese industrial tiles.  They are lined up in crates and it is reminiscent of a record shop as you sort through to find what you want.  It was fun to look through everything and see the different colors and patterns.