Tiles from the same cartoon or stencil are found in the Salimiye madrasa in Damascus dating from 1566. In the 16th century, Damascus became an important Ottoman provincial capital giving rise to new building schemes faced with tilework. Potters came to Damascus to work on the tilework. The designs were inspired by Iznik patterns, but were freed of the formality of the strictly controlled court designs, instead the Syrian patterns are more spontaneous and exuberant. The colour palatte was also distinctive, relying on more softer colours than those favoured by Iznik potters in the 1540s, and without the use of a red. The designs have parallels in textile patterns which also have repeats.