SEAToday.com, Istanbul-The Turkish word for "cloud" or "cloudy” is Ebru. The word "ebre" originates from an old Central Asian language and denotes paper or veined fabric. This painting was previously used to decorate scriptures or the covers of manuscripts.

It is believed that painting originated in China and spread throughout the Islamic world. A specific instance of this can be found in a text from the Tang Dynasty (7th–9th century) in China, which describes the technique of coloring paper with five different colors using water.

This painting technique made its way to Anatolia, Turkiye, and Iran through the trade that people at that time did. Ebru is often referred as the Turkish painting since the middle of the fifteenth century. Turkish museums and the houses of many Turkish people, particularly in Anatolia, are home to several Ebru paintings.

These works of art were brought to Europe in the late 16th century by several traders, ambassadors, and travelers who traveled to Turkiye. Turkish paper or marble paper created in Turkiye was the term used by Europeans to describe it.

Throughout the 14th-19th centuries, many religious schools in Turkiye introduced the art of Ebru through seminars. The schools also brought in Ebru artists to teach the method of creating the art to the students.

The Ottoman Empire gave Ebru a lot of attention, which helped it develop. Almost all forms of artwork were intended to convey divine beauty under this Islamic authority. Through ornamental arts, music, and architecture, they want to showcase beauty. (NADHIRA/DKD)