Arabic ceramic oven - Priego de Córdoba - Andalusia

This kiln was excavated by the Museum (Municipal Archaeological Service) in 1993 .

An octagonal pergola with a glass envelope and a ceramic tile roof was built around it. The interior contains the kiln in a central position and the various museum elements associated with it (posters relating to medieval Islamic Priego and its pottery district and a model of the reconstructed kiln).

The pottery district of Madinat Baguh was located around today's Lozano Sidro and San Marcos streets in the 12th and 13th centuries and occupied an area of about 1.5 hectares. Since 1993, numerous ceramic kilns of various types have been excavated in this sector, as well as other interesting structures: clay pits, tanks, walls, walkways...

The location of the pottery in this part of the city is no coincidence. There was water in abundance here, drawn from wells, and a suitable geological subsoil with an abundance of clay suitable for modelling. Also, the neighborhood was on the outskirts of the suburbs, so the activity ( smoke , garbage accumulation, etc.) didn't bother the neighbors too much .

The kiln is partly dug underground , with a sluice system, and consists of the following parts:

- Firing Chamber: With a circular plan, it has a series of perforations in the walls that were used to place ceramic rods or rollers that formed shelves that held the pottery during firing. This cylindrical chamber was open at the top and had several side chimneys.

- Bonfire: It is a rectangular structure attached to the firebox. This was both the entrance to the kiln and the area where the fire was controlled.

Despite its medium size, this oven can bake up to several hundred pieces at a time . The fully preserved row of holes has 77 holes supporting a linear board 6.10 m long and about 35 cm wide.

Willem Vandenameele