Photo Gallery

The picture shows St Augustine’s Tower in Old Goa, India. It is the most striking remnant of the once magnificent church and monastery of St Augustine. The church was completed between 1572 and 1602 by Augustinian monks. It was once one of the largest churches in Goa and indeed in the whole of Asia. Following the Portuguese government’s ban on religious orders in 1835, the monastery was abandoned and fell into disrepair. The façade and half of the tower collapsed in 1931, followed by further sections in 1938. Of the original four towers, only this single bell tower, approximately 46 metres high, remains today. The ruins form part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site ‘Churches and Monasteries of Goa’. On the right-hand side of the picture, decorated tiles (azulejos) can be seen on the remaining sections of the walls. These ornamental tiles are typical of Portuguese architecture of that period and bear witness to the former splendour of the interior. – 1990

The photograph shows historic tiles (glazed ceramic tiles) of the kind typically found in the ruins of St Augustine’s Church in Old Goa, India. These tiles feature characteristic motifs in shades of blue, yellow and ochre, bearing witness to the Portuguese influence in this region during the 17th century. The tiles are located on the remains of St Augustine’s Church, which was built around 1602. The photograph shows the tiles in a weathered state on a dark, moss-covered wall, which is typical of the ruins in the humid environment of Goa. – 1990

Junagarh Fort in Bikaner features several rooms with striking blue wall decorations. The Badal Mahal (Palace of the Clouds) is particularly famous for this. Many of the blue tiles in the fort, especially in the Gaj Mandir, are blue and white porcelain tiles from Europe (often from the Netherlands or Great Britain), which were installed there in the 18th and 19th centuries. The colour blue was often used to symbolise the rain and coolness of clouds – a precious commodity in the Rajasthan desert. Animals (such as horses or elephants) used to be tethered to the metal ring on the wall. – Bikaner, Rajasthan – 1990