The traditional Portuguese ceramic tile "azulejo", meaning "small polished stones", was actually invented in the Ancient East and was brought to Portugal and Spain by the Arab conquerors. The Arabs used these unique colorful tiles to cover the exterior walls of the buildings. The Portuguese have long surpassed the masters of the East, brought the tile painting to perfection, and used it to decorate not only the facades of buildings but also the interior.

The oldest examples of azulejo can be seen in the Sintra National Palace. Later, the Arab azulejo was combined with the technique of Italian majolica and the combination of white and cobalt colors, popular in Holland, obtaining the traditional Portuguese azulejo. Therefore, it is unique, different from other techniques in Europe and the East.

The unique Portuguese art reached its peak in the 19th century. In 1960, it was decided to open the National Museum of the Azulejo in the Convent of Madre Deus. As the building of the ancient monastery was decorated with Dutch azulejos, the extensive collections of the museum came in handy and perfectly fit into the overall interior.

The permanent exhibition is dedicated to the history of the azulejos starting from the 15th century. It contains early ceramic panels, repeating ornaments of bright oriental carpets, later panels painted with religious images, and panels with scenes of everyday life. The main treasure of the museum is a unique azulejo panel made in 1730. It is more than 40 meters long and depicts a panorama of the Portuguese capital before the destructive earthquake of 1755. Moreover, visitors can learn how the legendary tiles were created, what tools were used, and how they were hand-painted. First, guests get acquainted with ancient documents, and then go to the hall of contemporary masters. Thus, they can compare the ancient tiles with the modern azulejos, which depict unusual and sometimes explicit images.