▁A part ▁from ▁t iles ▁which ▁escaped ▁destruction ▁due ▁to ▁their ▁use ▁in ▁architect ural ▁decor ation ▁of ▁buildings ▁and ▁mos ques , ▁much ▁early ▁medieval ▁pot tery ▁van ished . ▁ ▁The ▁Muslim ▁world ▁inherited ▁significant ▁pot tery ▁indust ries ▁in ▁Mes op ot am ia , ▁Pers ia , ▁Egypt , ▁North ▁Africa ▁( A fr ican ▁Red ▁S lip ) ▁and ▁later ▁other ▁regions . ▁Indeed , ▁the ▁origin ▁of ▁gla zed ▁pot tery ▁has ▁been ▁trac ed ▁to ▁Egypt ▁where ▁it ▁was ▁first ▁introduced ▁during ▁the ▁fourth ▁mill en ni um ▁B CE . ▁ ▁However ▁most ▁of ▁these ▁trad itions ▁made ▁heavy ▁use ▁of ▁figur ative ▁decor ation , ▁which ▁was ▁greatly ▁reduced , ▁though ▁not ▁entirely ▁removed , ▁under ▁Islam . ▁ ▁Instead ▁Islam ic ▁pot tery ▁developed ▁geometric ▁and ▁plant - based ▁decor ation ▁to ▁a ▁very ▁high ▁level , ▁and ▁made ▁more ▁use ▁of ▁decor ative ▁schemes ▁made ▁up ▁of ▁many ▁t iles ▁than ▁any ▁previous ▁culture . ▁ ▁Early ▁Med ieval ▁( 6 2 2 – 1 2 0 0 ) ▁ ▁A ▁distinct ▁Muslim ▁style ▁in ▁pot tery ▁was ▁not ▁firm ly ▁established ▁until ▁the ▁ 9 th ▁century ▁in ▁Ira q ▁( former ly ▁Mes op ot am ia ), ▁Sy ria ▁and ▁Pers ia . ▁ ▁During ▁this ▁period ▁pieces ▁mainly ▁used ▁white ▁tin - g la ze . ▁ ▁Information ▁on ▁earlier ▁periods ▁is ▁very ▁limited . ▁ ▁This ▁is ▁largely ▁due ▁to ▁the ▁lack ▁of ▁surv iving ▁spec im