Mortar (masonry)

Bricks held together with mortar.

Mortar acts as a kind of glue to keep stones and bricks together. When it is used, it is a kind of paste. Some kinds of mortar need to dry before they can act as a glue, in others, a chemical reaction is needed. Certain kinds of mortar can withstand fire for some time. The first kind of mortar was developed in Ancient Rome.

Mortar (masonry) Media

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  Mortar holding weathered bricks

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  Roman mortar on display at Chetham's School of Music.

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  Workers prepare mortar in a trough. A 10th-century sculpture from the Korogho church, Georgia.

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  Laying bricks with Portland cement mortar