Tadelakt of Marrakech represents the very pinnacle of decorative plaster coatings. Hard, brilliant and waterproof its unique characteristics have been perfected continuously over thousands of years to set it apart as the highest expression of decorative lime plaster.
Marrakech is famous for many things including its Hammam tradition, Moroccan styled spas and saunas that feature massage, bathing, steam rooms and mint tea. The Tadelakt finish is synonymous with the Hammam. Walls, floors, wash basins and tubs all are adorned with this exquisite, waterproof plaster.
The name Tadelakt derives from the Arabic ‘dellek’ meaning to knead or compress. Tadelakt in fact is kneaded in a unique way with a polished agate stone that compresses the surface into an extremely dense translucent finish.
Tadelakt originates and is still produced from limestone quarries in the environs of Marrakech, Morocco. It is not a product of modern fabrication facilities and blast furnaces. Berbere craftsman bake the limestone in adobe lined pits in the open field using dried reeds for fuel as has been done for centuries.
The impure resulting lime powder contains clay and silicates that give Tadelakt its hydraulic nature meaning that, as a type of lime cement, Takelakt will set with the addition of water. Distinct from air drying plasters, such as adobe or marmorino, Takelakt retains much of the mass of water resulting in an extremely dense crystalline structure resistant to damage and uniquely waterproof.