This article is more than 2 years old.

April 7, 2016 This article is more than 2 years old.

Mohammad Reza Domiri Ganji is a 25-year-old Iranian physics student. But he spends his free time obsessing over how to make photos that will reveal Iran’s architectural heritage and natural beauty to the rest of the world.

Interrupting the usual barrage of headlines about nuclear warheads and oil rigs, the self-taught photographer offers rare views from inside his country’s historic buildings, baths, mosques and ancient ruins. For many outdoor images, Ganji shoots at night to capture Iran’s crystalline starlit sky.

“I saw that there were not enough good photos from the attractions of my country, so I decided to start this type of photography,” Ganji tells Quartz. “Many places in Iran are very beautiful, but still unknown.”

Mohammad Reza Domiri Ganji Historic bath in Isfahan

Mohammad Reza Domiri Ganji Niavaran Palace in Tehran

Mohammad Reza Domiri Ganji The “Pink Mosque”

Mohammad Reza Domiri Ganji Palace of Ardashir, Fars

Mohammad Reza Domiri Ganji Persepolis